Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 2.djvu/198

 The. Origin of Doric Architecture. 157 than to set up, edgewise, plank o in front of the beam-ends (Fig. 309), making it fast by a simple scarf joint. This would prevent lateral displacement, whilst the plank could be further secured with many pins to the tie or longitudinal beams. On this species of cuirass we place, flatwise, plank p, providing it with a groove to fit the upper edge of plank o ; in this way the culminating portion of the cornice on which the rain directly falls will receive a con- tinuous and efficient facing (Fig. 310), whilst a corona will be constituted which shelters the subjacent portion of the wall of Ktg. 309. — Myceniai the entablature. This water-moulding has one defect, it is wooden ; no matter the length of planks o and p, they will have to be joined at some points, let these be ever so few in number. With the parting of the timbers, the rain will filter through, rot, and cause them to break at those points. To grasp how the many joints in the course of planks m were protected against the weather, we must remember the lai^e place which the Mycenian architect gave to metal plates as facings to his surfaces. If his love for this style of enrichment was so great as to have led him to veil his stone walls with metal, where the labour was long and arduous, we may confidently assume his having dowered the woodwork of