entablature
entablature, in architecture, assemblage of horizontal moldings and bands supported by and located immediately above the columns of Classical buildings or similar structural supports in non-Classical buildings.
The entablature is usually divided into three main sections: the lowest band, or architrave, which originally took the form of a simple beam running from support to support; the central band, or frieze, consisting of an unmolded strip with or without ornament; the top band, or cornice, constructed from a series of moldings that project from the edge of the frieze.
- Related Topics:
- frieze
- pulvinated frieze
- cornice
- architrave
- metope
The germinal styles of the entablature correspond to and are one of the distinguishing features of three of the main orders of architecture: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Most entablatures not associated with these three orders are derived from them. See also order.
