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When castles were built, every aspect served an essential purpose. A corbel was an integral component of castle construction.
Function
According to Castles-of-Britain.com a corbel is a "projecting stone (or timber) feature on a wall to support an overhanging parapet, platform, turret, etc."
Features
Shaped like a right triangle, one side of a corbel was embedded into a wall, while the other was attached to the underside of the structure being supported. The third and longest side was visible and was usually carved into a design.
Appearance
Corbels served as decorative elements while fulfilling their structural function. Some were plain, while others were carved elaborately with heads of humans, animals, imaginary beings or other designs.
Corbel Table
According to Britannica.com, a corbel table is "a continuous row of corbels ... usually occurring just below the eaves of a roof ... to give extra support." They were also used to support parapets, with openings between corbels where objects could be dropped on attackers.
Widespread Use
Corbels were used on castles throughout Europe and the Orient. Examples can be found in England, Scotland, France, Italy and China. They are still used today, though more for decorative purposes than function.
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