Half-arch (crown)
 | This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2010) ) |
A half-arch is the piece of gold, silver or platinum, usually decorated with jewels, that links the circlet (circular base) of a hoop crown to the monde at the top of the crown.
Number of Arches
European tradition of eight half-arches
Many crowns of continental European monarchs traditionally contain eight half-arches; examples from extant monarchies include the royal crowns of
British tradition of four half-arches
In contrast, the crowns of
Crown of the Prince of Wales's single arch
The three crowns in existence of the
Shape of arch
Different crowns possess different-shaped half-arches. In some crowns, the half-arches dip down at the centre of the crown where they meet the globe. The most widely recognized example of this is
However, in the case of the State Crown of George I, while the crown as originally designed had dipping arches, they were pulled up to a right angle for the coronation of King George II and have remained in that position.
Detachable arches
The Crown of the Austrian Empire
In some crowns, such as the British
Velvet inlay
Where a crown possesses arches or half-arches, the circlet of the crown below the arches or half-arches are usually filled with velvet or other
The most widely used colours for cloth infills are purple, as in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth and in St. Edward's Crown, and dark red, as in the Imperial Crown of Austria.
No arches
Not all crowns possess arches. The Danish Crown of
See also
Sources
- Anna Keay, The Crown Jewels: Official Guidebook (Historic Royal Palaces, 2002) ISBN 1-873993-20-X
.svg)