Ceiling rose
A ceiling rose is a central feature of a room, usually an ornamental moulding made of plaster fixed flush to the ceiling, with a central fixing point for a light or a feature chandelier. This point is also usually where the electrical cable for the central room light punctuates the ceiling.
It is said that roses have represented secrecy since the Roman Era, and that during the rule of King Henry VIII it symbolised the right to secrecy or freedom of speech when a meeting was held with a rose fixed directly above the table. During the Georgian period decorative plaster became a feature of most interiors, along with picture rail, architraves and so on. Even during the Regency era when decorative features were more muted that previously ceiling rose remained a fixture and feature of many rooms.
Today ceiling roses, often simpler in design and manufactured through a precasting process can feature in new houses.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
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