An
ogee (pronounced or ) is a
curveIn mathematics, a curve consists of the points through which a continuously moving point passes. This notion captures the intuitive idea of a geometrical one-dimensional object, which furthermore is connected in the sense of having no discontinuities or gaps. Simple examples include the sine wave...
, shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two
arcIn geometry, an arc is a closed segment of a differentiable curve in the two-dimensional plane; for example, a circular arc is a segment of the circumference of a circle...
s that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel. In architecture, the name is also used for a molding with an ogee-shaped profile, consisting (going from low to high) of a concave arc flowing into a convex arc, with vertical ends; an alternative name for such a molding is
cyma reversa;
talon is also used.
The ogee curve and its beauty forms part of the
leitmotifA leitmotif is a recurring musical theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea...
of the Booker-prize winning novel
The Line of BeautyThe Line of Beauty is a 2004 Booker Prize-winning novel by Alan Hollinghurst.-Plot introduction:Set in the United Kingdom in the early to mid-1980s, the story surrounds the post-Oxford life of the young gay protagonist, Nick Guest....
.
The cyma reversa form occurs in antiquity.
An
ogee (pronounced or ) is a
curveIn mathematics, a curve consists of the points through which a continuously moving point passes. This notion captures the intuitive idea of a geometrical one-dimensional object, which furthermore is connected in the sense of having no discontinuities or gaps. Simple examples include the sine wave...
, shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two
arcIn geometry, an arc is a closed segment of a differentiable curve in the two-dimensional plane; for example, a circular arc is a segment of the circumference of a circle...
s that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel. In architecture, the name is also used for a molding with an ogee-shaped profile, consisting (going from low to high) of a concave arc flowing into a convex arc, with vertical ends; an alternative name for such a molding is
cyma reversa;
talon is also used.
The ogee curve and its beauty forms part of the
leitmotifA leitmotif is a recurring musical theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea...
of the Booker-prize winning novel
The Line of BeautyThe Line of Beauty is a 2004 Booker Prize-winning novel by Alan Hollinghurst.-Plot introduction:Set in the United Kingdom in the early to mid-1980s, the story surrounds the post-Oxford life of the young gay protagonist, Nick Guest....
.
Use in architecture
The cyma reversa form occurs in antiquity. For example, in ancient Persia, the
Tomb of CyrusThe Tomb of Cyrus is the burial place of the ancient Cyrus the Great of Persia. Cyrus the Great Cyrus the Great , or Cyrus II of Persia was a Persian Shahenshah , who founded of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty...
featured the cyma reversa. The cyma reversa is also evident in ancient Greek architecture.
The ogee shape is one of the characteristics of the
GothicGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style of
architectureFor a topical guide to this subject, see Outline of architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures for human shelter or use....
, especially decorative elements in the 14th and 15th century late Gothic styles called
FlamboyantFlamboyant is the name given to a florid style of late Gothic architecture in vogue in France, Spain and Portugal during the 15th century; the equivalent period in English architecture is called Perpendicular, and in Germany the Sondergotik. It evolved from the Rayonnant style and was marked by...
in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and Decorated in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Ogee windows and arches were introduced to European cities from the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The ogee curve is an analogue of a "
cymaCyma may refer to either:* A style of molding* Cyma Zarghami, the president of Nickelodeon and MTV Networks' Kids & Family Group* CYMA - Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia, a Canadian-run humanitarian program...
curve", the difference being that a cyma has horizontal rather than vertical ends.
The ogee profile is used in
decorative moldingMolding
or moulding
is a strip of material with various cross sections used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
, often framed between moldings with a square section. As such it is part of the standard classical decorative vocabulary, adopted from architrave and cornice moldings of the
Ionic orderThe Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
and
Corinthian orderThe Corinthian order is one of the three biggest classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. It is the most ornate, characterized by a slender fluted column and an elaborate capital decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls. The other two orders were the Doric and the Ionic...
. An ogee is also often used in the "
crown moldingCrown molding encapsulates a large family of moldings which are designed to gracefully flare out to a finished top edge; generally used for capping walls, pilasters, cabinets; used extensively in the creation of interior and exterior cornice assemblies and door and window hoods.In recent times,...
" frequently found at the top of a piece of case furniture, or for capping a
baseboardIn architecture, a baseboard is a board, covering the lowest part of an interior wall...
or
plinthA plinth is the base of a cabinet in cabinet making.In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of...
, or where a wall meets the ceiling. An ogee molding may be run in plaster or wood, or cut in stone or brickwork.
Ogee clock
An
ogee clock is a common kind of weight-driven 19th-century
pendulum clockA pendulum clock is a clock that uses a pendulum, a swinging weight, as its timekeeping element. From its invention in 1656 by Christiaan Huygens until the 1930s, the pendulum clock was the world's most accurate timekeeper, accounting for its widespread use....
in a simplified Gothic taste, made in the United States for a mantelpiece or to sit upon a wall bracket. An ogee clock is rectangular, with ogee-profile molding that frames a central glass door that protects the clock face and the pendulum. The door usually carries a painted scene in the area beneath the face. Ogee clocks are one of the most commonly encountered varieties of American antique clocks.
Other meanings
In
fluid mechanicsFluid mechanics is the study of how fluids move and the forces on them. Fluid mechanics can be divided into fluid statics, the study of fluids at rest, and fluid dynamics, the study of fluids in motion. It is a branch of continuum mechanics, a subject which models matter without using the...
, the term ogee is used for an ogee-shaped
aerodynamicAerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
profile. For example, a wing may have ogee profile, particularly on supersonic aircraft such as the
ConcordeThe Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde aircraft was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
. Also, the downstream face of a
damA dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions...
spillway is usually formed in an ogee curve to minimize water pressure.
In aesthetic facial surgery, the term is used to describe the malar or cheekbone prominence transitioning into the midcheek hollow. The aim of a mid-face rejuvenation is to restore the ogee curve and enhance the cheekbones. This enhancement is also commonly a part of a routine facelift.
Ogee is also a mathematical term, meaning an
inflection pointIn differential calculus, an inflection point, or point of inflection is a point on a curve at which the curvature changes sign. The curve change from being concave upwards to concave downwards , or vice versa...
.
An ogee can also refer to a style of
sleeveSleeve is that part of a garment which covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. Originally invented to serve as a snot-rag or handy handkerchief; the pattern of the sleeve is one of the characteristics of fashion in dress, varying in every country and period...
, in particular on a
gownAcademic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...
; the term is not widely used, and may not be used at all outside the
University of LondonBased primarily in London, England, United Kingdom, the University of London is a federal mega university made up of 31 affiliates: 19 separate university institutions, and 12 research institutes...
.