CORNICE (front the corona, a crowning) any nn wide.] projection which crowns or finishes the part to \Alden it is affixed ; thus we have the cornice. an order. of 1 pedestal, of a hull,. of a pier, of a door, of a window, &e.
Co»Nicn AX ORDER. a SeCondal'V member of the order itself, or a primary member of 11 entablature. The enta blature is divided into three principal parts, the upper one being the cornice. The forms of the particular cornices belonging wid be hound under the heads Dome, IONIC. CORINTIII1N, TUSCAN% arid ItuMAN.
According to Vit. nvins, the application of cornices to stone buildings oriainaied in the jutting.; of the eaves of the first wooden structures. the cornier representing the uppermost beams of the !Hof, which are described by this author as assers, templates. and cambers. of which the last is supposed to apply to the common rafters. the first to the timbers immediately beneath the tiles, and the templates to the cross pieces between the two. The mutules represent the ends of rafters, and (lentils the ends of laths for supporting the tiles, or covering; but as the lath is more lofty in situation than the rafters, so (main the dentils to be inure lofty than the mutules: this. however. is not the case in the joint application of these members in modern cornices.
Our present practice of architecture was borrowed fi•om the Romans, who. in all their works, inverted the natural disposition of these members. Vitruvius remarks, "as the mutules represent the projectures of the canthers (rafters), the dentils of the Ionic order arc in imitation °tithe projecture of the assers (laths). Fur this reason, in Grecian buildings, dentils are never placed under the litanies; for assers cannot lie under eanthers. As. therefore, they should he above the and templates, if they are represented below them, the work is on false principles. The ancients, likewise, did not approve of placing inut tiles or (lentils in the fitstigium, but in the corolla only : because neither canthers MU' assets are laid towards the front of the fistigium, nor can they there project. for they are laid inclining towards the eaves. As, therefore, it could not be done in reality, they judged it not proper to be done in representation. for the propriety of all things, which they in'rodneed in works of perfection, they derived from truth and nature, and approved only those which could bear the test of rational argument." We have no example, in the remains of well-authenticated Grecian antiquity, of cornices, where both modillions and derails are employed. except in the inner cornice of the Tower
of the Winds, at Athens : in this instance, the Vitruvius is completely verified ; for there the dentils are placed above the mutules: but in every 'Homan example, where both are employ cd in the same cornice, the very re ? erse takes place ; yet, with respect to pediments., we have an example in the frontispiece of the doors of the said T.)wer of the Winds, where (lentils are employed in the inclined cornices of the pediments. contrary to the observations of Vit•uvius. and to the original pi invii.les whence, recording to his theory. these members derived their existence.
In the cornices of all (;re•iau edifices, particularly those of the Doric order. we always Mid one my bold member, ith a lin ad vertical thee, called the cocoon, Whitt) is one of the most distinguished members of the whole cornice: but in some of the Llommi buildings, the corona is reduced to a mere fillet. St COnONA.
Col:NU:ES are divided into several kinds: An tirebitruvo cornice rests upon the architrave, and the ieze is omitted. An insu nee of this may be seen in the finnous Ca vatic portico, at Athens. Corniees of this descrip• tion are adapted to situations where a regular entablature weld.] be out of to 111 • body which it erimns.
A inr•tnle cornice is appropriate to the order, the tumulus having inclined soffits.
A tie, ail COr I( ire has n denticulate.] Land, and is usually (1 in the Ionic order, though very appropriate also tbr the Corinthian.
A nrodellion cornice is one with tnodillions, which are a kind of nannies carved into «insoles. it Las been chiefly applied to the Cor'nthian order, A Owl; corn ire is that where plain rectangula• prisms With level soffits are employ ed to surport the corona, instead of inntules.
A forb;ce is 1,mstrneted of a row of timbers. projecting at right angles fioin the naked part of a wall. for sustaining the surerior parts of the cornice, Some tinies the cantalivers :re placed on the s()ffits and vertical sides, and sometimes they are eased eith joinery.
A cored cornice is one with a large cove. and generally lathed and plastered ni on brackets. CorlliCes of this kind are hardly used at this time, but are frequently finind upon old bruises.
A inntiluted cornice has some. or the whole of its mem bers interrupted by another object, as the projection of a tablet. &c.