Stonemason Crafts

Text

Stone masons were engaged in the quarrying and dressing of stone. Their activities included quarrying stone blocks from the rock-face, splitting them into smaller pieces, grinding, cutting, polishing and dressing them to make building blocks or vault elements.
The first mention of an organized stonemasons’ guild in Bohemia dates from the 14th century. The patron saints of quarriers and stonemasons are St Roch and St Joseph, and in places also St Barbara and St Procopius. Stone-working found application mainly in the construction industry.
The mason’s mark was a graphic symbol, though not the maker’s signature, on the surface of a finished stone piece. The number of finished and marked pieces determined the payment due. Each mason either attained his mark, or had it allocated to him at a particular point in his apprenticeship, and then kept it for life.

Artwork