Nun head
The nun's head is a two-part tracery that decorated the pointed arch windows made of natural stone in Gothic buildings . It usually consists of two stone work pieces. The term “nun's head” is probably derived from the veil-like or hood-like outer shape that seems to enclose a room in the shape of a nun.
The nun's head developed from a geometric construction that could be filled with different stone profiles. Stonemasons refer to this as "profile trim". With the development of the Gothic, the profiles became richer. The natural stone was carved and profiled from a rough block by a stonemason. The radial lines of the profiles ended in so-called "noses", which either tapered off to a point or were flattened. Nuns' heads are also found on church pews or on furniture.
Web links
- Construction of the nun's head (PDF; 197 kB)