What is the name of the decoration on churches incorrectly called 'gargoyles'?

Question

Gargoyles are water spouts sculpted into ugly faces. The thing I'm talking about is also a sculpted ugly face but doesn't spout water.

Answer 1

yeah, possibly grotesques...

The word "Gargoyle" shares a root with the word "Gargle"; they come from "gargouille", an old French word for "Throat". A true gargoyle is a waterspout.
An unusual carved creature that does not serve that purpose is properly called a "Grotesque".

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Chimera / chimeras, or grotesque.

" Although most have grotesque features, the term gargoyle has come to include all types of images. Some gargoyles were depicted as monks, combinations of real animals and people, many of which were humorous. Unusual animal mixtures, or chimeras, did not act as rainspouts and are more properly called grotesques. They serve more as ornamentation, but are now synonymous with gargoyles.

Gargoyles, or more precisely chimerae, were used as decoration on 19th and early 20th century buildings in cities such as New York (where the Chrysler Building's stainless steel gargoyles are celebrated), and Chicago. Gargoyles can be found on many churches and buildings.

One impressive collection of modern gargoyles can be found at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. The cathedral begun in 1908 is encrusted with the limestone demons. But this collection also includes Darth Vader, a crooked politician, robots and many other modern spins on the ancient tradition."

Answer 4

The gargoyle appears on buildings as downspouts, cornice and sculptures. Even as spouts on vessels [bottles or pitchers]. But the creature depicted on these is a gargoyle.

This name, rooted in French, comes from the downspout use of the image and the sounds it made when water ran through it.

Answer 5

Gargoyles are a type of "Chimera"which was originally just to get rainwater off of buildings. For some reason someone decided they would be better looking like monsters and ward off evil spirits at the same time.

Answer 6

A similar type of sculpture that does not work as a waterspout and serves only an ornamental or artistic function is called a chimera, although these are popularly referred to as gargoyles also.

Answer 7

Interesting. Mmm, maybe a chimera? Or a grotesque? I thought they were all gargoyles before reading your question. Learn something new everyday!

Answer 8

I thought they were called gargoyles. It may be seraphims, not sure. They were used to scare evil spirits and kept them from entering the church.

Answer 9

The answer is not simple. The master stone cutters protrayed just about anything they wanted in these bas reliefs. They sometimes even placed their own faces or their pet dog's high on a pillar.

Answer 10

gargoyles