Vaulting Tubes: the key to archways

Vaulting tubes were a pivotal architectural technique which aided in the construction of archways.

Typically made from terracotta, vaulting tubes were cylindrically shaped pieces closed at one end and open at the other. The closed, beaked end was shaped to fit into the opening of another vaulting tube. Several stacked tubes could be formed into an arch and bound together with mortar, creating a sturdy structure.

The examples in our collection are of a style associated with North Africa, and have a distinctive conical shape.

Author: Georgian Parkes