Columns of the Rotunda
The columns are
scagliola, which is a man-made marble. This style comes from Italy and it is considered a
lost art. The components that make up the scagliola overlay are:
|
Milk |
|
Ink |
|
Marble Dust |
|
Yarn |
|
Here's a close up of the pattern on one of the columns:
Under the scagliola
layer is a cement pillar with a steel rod through the middle. In the year 1910 it cost
approximately $100 to make a scagliola column, in comparison to $1000 to make a marble
column.
Despite their low initial cost, the scagliola columns are now
considered irreplaceable, since the process to create them has been lost
to the sands of time.
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