[M.194L]                                                              [M.194]	Torcello. Duomo.	194
                                                                      
                                                                      Capitals. 	Fondaco de Turchi,  but incomparably sharper and lovelier
                                                                      		while some {six or} eight are of various designs like that I have
                                                                      		drawn - delicate - rich & piquant to the last degree.
                                                                      		one thing being striking in nearly all;  the dedelopment of
                                                                      		the Byzantine basket capital - not the mere basket work.
                                                                      		but the basket with the birds on the edge of it,  from the
                                                                      		gradual in and down cutting of the {circular} bell:  Thus in this
                                                                      		No 132 of the triangular black holes which are in rows of
                                                                      		three under the edge of the bell - the uppermost of the
                                                                      		three in each row, and the two on each side the point of
                                                                      		the central lobe;  are entirely a jour:  and in another
                                                                      		capital, the two uppermost are a jour;  cut through the
                                                                      		edge of the bell seen in section. I could do no justice
                                                                      		to the perfect grace of the two {double} leaves with crisp curled
                                                                      		ends which are set on the front of the bell towards the
                                                                      		nave: In finishing them, the shades at the upper points of
                                                                      		their leaves should be lighter, and the series of drill holes
                                                                      		sharp & black - Peculiar value is given to their springy
                                                                      		curves by the incision which marks the stem being divided
                                                                      		into three angular bends; like a vine stem:  The action
                                                                      		and plan of the whole will be better understood from
                                                                      		fig 6 No 130

[Version 0.05: May 2008]