baluster

Balusters of the main staircase of the National Museum in Prague (Limestone Adneter Rotscheck )

The baluster (from French. Balustre from Italian. Balaustro from Greek. Βαλαύστιον / balaustion = "pomegranate blossom" because of the bell-shaped flower shape of the pomegranate tree) is the low single column of a balustrade . Another common name for balusters is "stair rungs".

shape

Most balusters have a round cross-section, but there are also square or polygonal designs. The shaft of the baluster is strongly profiled ; their middle part is often bulbous (thicker). Overall, they resemble amphorae or vases , and in rare cases fluted columns or obelisks .

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materials

Wooden balusters on the attic stairs of a private house

Balusters can be made from many materials, such as: B. wood, natural stone , stucco , stainless steel or acrylic and perlacryl. A wooden baluster is also called a "docke".

history

In furniture art , turned balusters have been used as table and chair legs for representative furniture since ancient times . It was not until the Renaissance that they were used in architecture as load-bearing elements of a railing or as decorative corner pieces.

Web links

Commons : Baluster  - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Wiktionary: Baluster  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• Explanation in an art dictionary
• Meyers Großer Konversations-Lexikon 1905

Individual evidence

1. ^ Scientific advice of the Duden editorial team (ed.): Duden, German Universal Dictionary. 6th edition. Dudenverlag, Mannheim / Leipzig / Vienna / Zurich 2007, ISBN 978-3-411-05506-7 , page 243, entry "Baluster"