Illustrated Architecture Dictionary
Illustrated Architecture Dictionary
Crocket
A decorative leaf carving jutting out at regular intervals on the sloped edges of gables, spires and canopies in Gothic architecture
Crocket capital: A capital having a series of crockets."Crocket" comes from the French "croc" which means "a hook."
Crockets have no architectural function; instead, they were used on cathedrals in imitation of the bishop's crozier (a word also derived from the French "croc") which symbolized his function as a shepherd protecting his sheep. Alternate theory: Crockets are footholds for workers.
Typical description: "crocket-carved finial."
See also: Church Vocabulary
Examples from Buffalo architecture:
- Illustration above: St. Louis Church
- Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
- Old Post Office / Erie Community College
- Miller Mansion
- Unitarian Universalist Church
Examples from Europe:
