Water Fountains: The Minoan Society
Water Fountains: The Minoan Society Fountains and Water and the Minoan Civilization These were utilized to provide towns and cities with water as well as to minimize flooding and eliminate waste material. Virtually all were prepared from terracotta or stone. Terracotta was selected for canals and conduits, both rectangular and spherical.
Contemporary Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Roots
Contemporary Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Roots The incredible architecture of a fountain allows it to provide clean water or shoot water high into air for dramatic effect and it can also serve as an excellent design feature to complete your home.The primary purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional. Inhabitants of cities, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains had to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up to the late nineteenth century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water move downwards or jet high into the air. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and celebrate the artist. Bronze or stone masks of wildlife and heroes were frequently seen on Roman fountains. To depict the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. To demonstrate his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the building of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts entered the city of Rome
Since indoor plumbing became the standard of the day for clean, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely decorative. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity enabled fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Decorating city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the uses of modern-day fountains.
Your Outdoor Living Area: The Perfect Spot for a Fountain
Your Outdoor Living Area: The Perfect Spot for a Fountain A great way to enhance the appeal of your outdoor living area is to add a wall fountain or an exterior garden fountain to your landscaping or garden layout. Any number of present-day designers and fountain artisans have found ideas in the fountains and water features of the past. Therefore, in order to link your home to earlier times, include one these in your decor.
The area required for a cascading or spouting fountain is substantial, so a wall fountain is the perfect size for a small yard. You can choose to put in a stand-alone fountain with a flat back and an connected basin propped against a fence or wall in your backyard, or a wall-mounted type which is self-contained and suspended from a wall. A fountain can be added to an existing wall if you include some type of fountain mask as well as a basin to collect the water below. The plumbing and masonry work necessary for this type of work requires expertise, so it is best to hire a skilled person rather than do it yourself.