The Italian Renaissance was not merely a revival of Classic architecture adapted to more modern conditions, but was in its earlier stages a frank reproduction of the Roman ornament in design and rendering. In later development in Italy and other parts of Europe it acquired local character differing materially from the original. Fresh elements were adopted and details originally significant were introduced for purely decorative reasons.
[Illustration: No. 239. Early Pointed Gothic Stone Carving. Ely Cathedral.]
A feature of the foliated scroll is the Husk Leaf, either Acanthus, that is--lobed and serrated, or compounded of water leaves with smooth and undulating edges somewhat similar to the hart’s tongue fern.
The Husk either grows tangentially from the stem which it sometimes envelopes in the sheath form, or has at its base a floral-like feature known as the Bract; this, however, was seldom employed in Greek ornament, a boss-like annulet being more general. The Husk is largely employed to mask or cover branching, and either, as previously stated, grows tangentially from the stem, or takes a bulbous form with a broad and rounded base when it appears to be threaded on, rather than articulated to, the stem.
[Illustration: No. 240. Italian Renaissance Scroll, shewing Acanthus husks with bracts, sheath leaves and floral terminals.]
[Illustration: No. 241. Types of Rosettes.]
Such flowers as were employed in the earlier ornament displayed little regard to nature, being mostly of the rosette form with petals radiating from the centre; as a rule these were composed of simple leaf-shaped petals in one, two or more tiers arranged concentrically; in this form of rosette the petals are symmetrical in shape. The number of petals is a matter of scale and taste, but an unequal number will invariably be found more interesting. Arrangements of five or seven in preference to four, six and eight. Frequently the spaces between the outer tier are occupied by narrow leaves suggestive of the sepals in natural flowers, and these serve the double purpose of giving variety and preserving the circular shape.
Further variety can be imparted by the arrangements of the petals on a revolving instead of a straight axis, either consistently in one direction or symmetrically disposed from a centre in a palmate form.