Wood corbels are the name in medieval architecture for a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight.
For a time a piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a tassel or a bragger. Thus the carved decorative ornaments from which the vaulting shafts spring at Lincoln are corbels (commonly misspelled 'corbells' or 'corbell').
Norman wooden corbels are generally plain. In the Early English period they are sometimes elaborately carved in various species of wood, as at Lincoln above cited, and sometimes more simply so, as at Stone.
They sometimes end with a point apparently growing into the wall, or forming a knot, as at Winchester, and often are supported by angels and other figures. In the later periods the foliage (grape leaf oak leaf, and more) or ornaments resemble those in the capitals (Tuscan, roman,
Corinthian, etc.).
The corbels carrying the arches of the corbel tables in Italy and France were often elaborately moulded, and sometimes in two or three courses over one another; those carrying the machicolations of English and French castles had four courses. The decorative corbels carrying balconies in Italy and France were sometimes of great size and richly carved, and some of the finest examples of the Italian Cinquecento style are found in them. Throughout England, in half-timber work, wood corbels abound, carrying window-sills or oriels in wood, which also are often carved.
A corbel table is a projecting moulded string course supported by a range of corbels. Sometimes these corbels carry a small arcade under the string course, the arches of which are pointed and trefoiled.
As a rule the corbel wood carving table carries the gutter, but in Lombard work the arcaded corbel table was utilized as a decoration to subdivide the
storey's and break up the wall surface. In Italy sometimes over the corbels will be a moulding, and above a plain piece of projecting wall forming a parapet . In the ancient world, a corbel was a decoratively cut piece of stone that projected from a wall for the purpose of bearing weight, such as a balcony. From the Latin 'corbellus', meaning raven, it was so named due to its beak-like appearance.
In the past, corbels have lined the exteriors of temples of Greek deities, often in combination with columns and capitals, to bring dignity and symbolism to the Gods of the Pantheon. Corbels can also be found in churches around the world, gracing the interior walls of abbeys and cloisters.
Today's modern adaptation is the wooden corbel. Wooden corbels are available in an abundant diversity of styles, from simple to the most elaborate, and are suited to a wide variety of applications. Be it a humble dwelling such as a cabin or cottage, to the most elegant of accommodations, there is a wooden corbel designed specifically for your needs. Whether your plan is to renovate, restore, or you're starting from scratch, wooden corbels will integrate beautifully with any design or style you may desire.
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