Multifoil arch

Multifoil arch in the Aljafería, Zaragoza, Spain

A multifoil arch (or polyfoil arch), also known as a cusped arch,[1][2] polylobed arch,[3][4] or scalloped arch,[5] is an arch characterized by multiple circular arcs or leaf shapes (called foils, lobes, or cusps) that are cut into its interior profile or intrados.[2][1][6][7] The term foil comes from the old French word for "leaf." A specific number of foils is indicated by a prefix: trefoil (three), quatrefoil (four), cinquefoil (five), sexfoil (six), octofoil (eight). The term multifoil or scalloped is specifically used for arches with more than five foils.[8][9][10] The multifoil arch is characteristic of Islamic art and architecture; particularly in the Moorish architecture of al-Andalus (Iberian Peninsula) and North Africa and in Mughal architecture of the Indian subcontinent.[11] Variants of the multifoil arch, such as the trefoil arch, are also common in other architectural traditions such as Gothic architecture.[2]: 132  

  1. ^ a b "cusp | architecture | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Qantara - Fragment of wood ornamented with arches". www.qantara-med.org. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  4. ^ Llorente, Margarita Sánchez. "Arch". Discover Islamic Art - Virtual Museum. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  5. ^ Ragette, Friedrich (2003). Traditional Domestic Architecture of the Arab Region. Edition Axel Menges. p. 37. ISBN 978-3-932565-30-4.
  6. ^ "Cusped Arches". National Geographic Society. 2012-09-14. Archived from the original on 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  7. ^ Curl, James Stevens; Wilson, Susan (2015). The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-967498-5.
  8. ^ "Definition of MULTIFOIL". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  9. ^ "Multifoil". buffaloah.com. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  10. ^ Davies, Nikolas; Jokiniemi, Erkki (2012-05-04). Architect's Illustrated Pocket Dictionary. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-44406-7.
  11. ^ Lookuparchitecture: Moorish arches Archived 2012-04-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 November 2011