Doge's Palace (Venice) - Capitals

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Here we follow the opposite order of J. Rushkin, starting at the oldest capital from right to left, XXXVI=1
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The portal columns are 3,10 m, the capitals 69,5 cm high.


The columns are counted following John Ruskin from right to left according to their age.

All capitals, except that of the first, are octagonal and decorated by sixteen leaves.
There are five different types of capitals (A, B1-4). All capitals vault towards the octagonal abacus. Spathaceous bracts mark the corners of the abacus. There are two different versions of the abacus (A/B).
Type A
The corners are covered by eight broad ornamental bands, which vault to the exterior beneath the abacus. The volutes are in form of five-lobed leaves reminding of wine leaves. These capitals are only decorated by heads of human beings or animals. Seven capitals from the 13th-century belong to this type.
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 02
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 05
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 12
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 15
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 19
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 22
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 27
Type B
Eight high leaves rise to the angles, and there forming volutes. These types of capitals have a second ring of half-grown leaves on the sides, which form the base for the figurative decorations besides the spathaceous bracts at the eight corners of the abacus. The leaves are organized as volutes, bundles, spathaceous bracts or half grown leaves which form the four variants of this type.
The leaf-veins develop from the central leaf-vein (B1 see Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 21, B2 see Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 08) or begin from the abacus (B4 Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 17 with the three-lobed leaves volutes turning aside). The upper leaves of the five-lobed volutes of type B1, B2 curl into cycles or upwards into scrolls.
Type B1 see
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 01
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 07
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 10
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 13
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 21
Type B2
The half grown leaves come out an up growing bundle
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 00
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 06
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 08
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 09
Capitals in the Doge's Palace (Venice) - 11

Original 1342-1348
(Incompleto / Incomplete)

copy by anonymous 1888, original 1342-1348 Museo dell'Opera
(Incompleto / Incomplete)

Dame e cavalieri / Ladies and knights
copy by anonymous 1888, original 1342-1348 Museo dell'Opera (Incompleto / Incomplete)

(Incompleto / Incomplete)

In gran parte una replica ottocentesca / Mostly a 19th century replica.