engleski

Incompleteness and imperfection of architectural decoration in Diocletian's Palace in Split

On different edifices in Diocletian´s Palace, there is a certain number of incomplete or erroneously fabricated elements of architectural decoration. They are made in local limestone, while on the imported elements made in different marbles of Greek or Egyptian provenance this phenomenon cannot be detected. The unfinished elements can be divided into two categories: the elements with partially finished mouldings belong to the first category ; to the second, the elements with partially carved (or even omitted) motives. Certain elements of the east colonnade of the Palace main square (traditionally called ›Peristyle‹) belong to the first category: on several ionic attic bases the moulding is completed only on the side looking toward the square, while on the opposite side (looking toward the temenos area of the Mausoleum) it is left in a state of a carved »prefabricate« ; one Corinthian capital has on the side facing the intercolumnium smaller part of the upper register left roughly shaped. The incompleteness of the motifs is more frequent. There are cases where on two adjacent blocs the motif is carved on the one, omitted on another, as it is a case of the string course of octagonal towers, the cornice blocs of Mausoleum peripteros etc. While the unfinished elements are positioned on less visible parts of the edifices, the imperfect ones are quite visible: the length of the door cornice of the rectangular temple has been corrected (as a consequence the flow of the anthemion on the joint of two blocs is interrupted) ; inside the rectangular temple the dimensions of the blocs of the cornice running under the barrel vault have also been corrected, as a result, the joint of cornices on two angles is different: on the northwest angle, two modillions are fused into one of a rather in unusual M shape, while on the southwest angle they enclose a cassette. The incompleteness and imperfection of the architectural decoration elements in the Palace could be related to the different skill capacities of the carvers. The number of unfinished elements could, however, point out to delay on the construction site, or to an acceleration of the construction activities (intending to complete the work before and receive the abdicated emperor).

Diocletian's Palace, architectural decoration

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