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Croce a T

A T-shaped support used with a pointing apparatus to establish three fixed reference points between a model and its stone copy.

Short Definition

A T-shaped support for fixing the reference geometry of a pointing system.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Language Origin

Italian

Pronunciation

KROH-cheh ah tee

Croce a T (“T-cross”) is a wooden support used with the traditional pointing apparatus. Le voci del marmo describes it as an inverted T-shaped structure on which three nails are fixed with plaster after the cross is positioned on the model; these correspond to the three principal reference points used by the pointing device.

The support allows the apparatus to be repositioned reproducibly between model and stone.

Etymology

Italian: croce, “cross,” + the letter T.

Sculptor Notes

The Croce a T demonstrates that pointing is fundamentally geometric. Before a surface point can be transferred, the measuring instrument itself must occupy a repeatable position in space.

References

https://levocidelmarmo.sns.it/scheda_oggetti_relazione.php?denom=croce+a+t&id=49