A molding that projects beyond the surface of a wall or panel, used as decorative architectural trim; a raised decorative framing around a wall panel or fireplace opening.
From Latin 'bullectio,' derived from 'bulla' (a rounded object or boss), referring to the projecting rounded molding that literally 'bulges out' from the surface.
Bolection moldings became wildly fashionable in 17th-century England—they cast dramatic shadows that emphasized the division between wall panels, and architects loved them because they hid the imperfect joints where different materials met, a brilliant example of decoration solving practical construction problems.
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