Picket wrought iron fences have many different types of heads.
Wrought iron fences are both decorative and functional. Iron makes good fencing material because it is easily worked with. This allows builders to bend and shape the iron into decorative patterns while creating a functional and sturdy fence. Many wrought iron fences and gates are very decorative, including spirals, patterns or sculptural embellishments, all of which are typically also made from wrought iron. Does this Spark an idea?
What is Wrought Iron
Wrought iron has been one of the primary metals worked by blacksmiths for centuries. It has been supplanted by steel as the metal used most often in the metal crafting trades, however it is still valued for decorative work. Wrought iron is a combination of iron and slag. Products made from mild steel can approximate the look of wrought iron but not the ease with which it can be worked. The material is soft and easily shaped by the hammer, which allows for the creation of the elaborate work often seen on wrought iron fences.
Styles
Wrought iron fences are made in three primary styles. Variations and embellishments are placed on all of these, but most wrought iron fences are at least partially a member of one of these groups. Picket style fences consist of straight, vertical rails. Hairpin fences substitute curved, "U" shaped bars for the straight pickets, with the curve in the shape being placed at the top of the fence. The final style is a combination of the two called hairpin and picket style. Hairpin and picket fences alternate every second rail between a hairpin and a picket.
Common Embellishments
Although many craftsman have created truly unique fence designs, there are some common ways that wrought iron fences are embellished. On fences with pickets, the heads are crafted in many different designs ranging from simple spikes to ornate fleur-de-lis. Scroll-work appears on many fences. Floral and vegetative motifs are also seen. These range from the simple, such as a few wrought iron flowers, to the very elaborate, such as wrought iron vines complete with leaves, thorns and flowers snaking throughout the fence.
History
Elaborate wrought iron fences are an important part of many types of historic architecture. From the mid-17th century onward, the rich in France often decorated their property with highly artistic wrought iron fences and gates. As was often the case in Europe, France served as a leaping-off point for the style, and it spread throughout the continent. Eventually the style made its way to America where it is most notable in New Orleans, a city with a very strong sense of French style and hertiage.
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