'Zirbelnuss' (or pine cone) gate markers, detail
En route to 'Eryldene' (a historic house in the Sydney North Shore suburb of Gordon) I passed these pine cone gate markers. This particular shape - or one very much like it - is a dominant decorative feature all over Bavaria and it always catches my eye: such a pleasing shape. My husband calls them Zirbelnuss, and after much research I have found out that they are the seed of the cembra pine (also called Swiss pine), which is found over a wide area of Europe.
Although I'm not sure I have ever seen the tree, I have seen the cones incised onto Roman gravestones discovered around Augsburg and on display in exhibitions of Roman remains. According to curators, the cone "was the field sign of the Roman legion stationed in Rhaetia in 15 BC, and hence it is used as the heraldic charge (known as Zirbelnuss in German) in the coat of arms of the city of Augsburg, the site of the Roman fort Augusta Vindelicorum" (from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_cembra).
The tree is said to be long living although slow growing, with lifetimes of over 500 years mentioned, so perhaps the Zirbelnuss was a symbol of longevity - hence its use on the Roman gravestones?
What I wonder is how did this shape get to the domestic architecture of North Shore Sydney in Australia?
There is still so much to find out! Including why so many of us like this shape so much.
[Eryldene_en route_Nuss gate markers_detail_IMG_0424]
'Zirbelnuss' (or pine cone) gate markers, detail
En route to 'Eryldene' (a historic house in the Sydney North Shore suburb of Gordon) I passed these pine cone gate markers. This particular shape - or one very much like it - is a dominant decorative feature all over Bavaria and it always catches my eye: such a pleasing shape. My husband calls them Zirbelnuss, and after much research I have found out that they are the seed of the cembra pine (also called Swiss pine), which is found over a wide area of Europe.
Although I'm not sure I have ever seen the tree, I have seen the cones incised onto Roman gravestones discovered around Augsburg and on display in exhibitions of Roman remains. According to curators, the cone "was the field sign of the Roman legion stationed in Rhaetia in 15 BC, and hence it is used as the heraldic charge (known as Zirbelnuss in German) in the coat of arms of the city of Augsburg, the site of the Roman fort Augusta Vindelicorum" (from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_cembra).
The tree is said to be long living although slow growing, with lifetimes of over 500 years mentioned, so perhaps the Zirbelnuss was a symbol of longevity - hence its use on the Roman gravestones?
What I wonder is how did this shape get to the domestic architecture of North Shore Sydney in Australia?
There is still so much to find out! Including why so many of us like this shape so much.
[Eryldene_en route_Nuss gate markers_detail_IMG_0424]