Cleveland Museum of Art

Roof Boss

Date

1400s

Medium

limestone with traces of polychromy

Culture

Northern Spain, 15th century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

In medieval architecture, a "boss" refers to an ornamentally carved, often painted and gilded, keystone. It was placed at the intersection of ribs in a vaulted roof in order to lock its members into position. Noteworthy examples are found in many of Europe's monastic cloisters and cathedrals. This example and the other shown nearby are reportedly from the vaulted ceiling of a monastery in Northern Spain. Their principal decorative motif consists of a spray of acanthus leaves.

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