Horler Miklós: Budapest 1. budai királyi palota 1. Középkori idomtégla töredékek (Magyarország építészeti töredékeinek gyűjteménye 4. Budapest, 1995) (Magyarország építészeti töredékeinek gyűjteménye 4. Budapest, 1998)

András Végh: Medieval Terracotta finds from the royal Palace of Buda

framed by five foils, while the pattern above it varies. The tympanum is too wide to stand without the extra support of a small column in the middle. The decoration supports this supposition, as the inner sides of the two lower lancet arches run to it, too. No fragment of this suggested column features among the material, they may have been made of stone, but if so, they must also have perished. Cornices (Cat. 100.361-476) There are many fragments which may be classified into this group, but there is only one type among them which for certain once belonged to the main cornice of the building (Cat. 100.361-364): members of the other types are much too small to fit this category. Although they may have formed part of the former, string courses dividing wall surfaces, pedestal mouldings, or even window decoration seems to be more likely. The profile is so simple that none of them can be excluded. To return to the main cornice, it seems certain that under the architrave there was a frieze decorated with plate tracery and an arcature set on small corbels. Occasionally a twisted ovolo was spilled over from the plate tracery (Cat. 100.306). The most characteristic element of the frieze was the arcature. Four types are known, indicating that we must reckon with four different cornices (Fig. 30-34.) The structures of the friezes are the same, the main difference is their size, although there arc some minor dissimilarities. The stems of the arcature in two of the types run into each other at the bottom, while in the other two types they end in small corbels. The plate tracery belonging to the different types of arcatures was established by measurement, as in the case of three out of the four types, the patterns can be completed only by re-arranging the pieces. It is important to note that there may also have been a frieze under the window-sills, although only the smaller items would be suitable for this position. Under the windows there may have been tracery as well as festoon decorated friezes (Cat. 100.125-131). Pilasters of the Façade (Cat. 100.477-551) As far as we can recall from the pieces, the façade was broken up by pilasters barley standing out from the wall, and finished on the edges with two beads. Pieces of these have survived in two different sizes. Additional elements can only be connected to the bigger pilasters. (Fig. 35.) There are no pedestal items among these pieces, and it may be that originally there were none. At the height of the string-courses the pilasters were broken by a bead, with foil decoration beneath it. The reconstruction can be completed on the basis of observed measurements, crowning each pilaster with a turret constructed of steeples and crenels, as the width of the latter is the same as that of the pilaster. Level with the main cornice, the pilaster and turret were connected by a second bead. It is also possible that these big pilasters, crowned by a turret each, Hanked a gate rather than decorated the façade. Pilasters, half-columns and vaulting (Cat. 100.552-701) It was possible to reconstruct a type of three-quater column crowned by a vine decorated capital. (Fig. 36.) Then there are half octagonal pilasters, likewise with capitals formed of leaves (Fig. 37.) A set of pieces form part of a half octagonal arch bend of the same width as the pillars. A square shaped pilaster, with shields of coat of arms on its capital may also belong to this group. There are two possibilities as to the function of these columns and pilasters: they either supported the vaulting of halls, or decorated arcades on the ground floor. If situated in the halls, they would have supported the beams. Keystones or rib junctions were not found among the pieces. If, on the other hand, the pieces embellished the arches of an arcade they are to be linked with those fragments already mentioned in connection with the windows, as elements decorating arches. At the end of our survey it can be stated that most of the pieces once adorned the façades of several buildings. On the ground of the number of the various elements

—windows and cornices

—, their varied size and form we suggest that the pieces belonged to more than just one building. As will be shown later in the section dealing with the pieces from an aspect of the history of art, one of the great advantage of terracotta architecture was the possibility of "mass production". On each façade only one type of decoration appeared under the cornice, and the windows were also produced in series for each individual building.