In architecture, tambour has three meanings. In classical architecture, a tambour (French for 'drum') is the inverted bell of the Corinthian capital, around which acanthus leaves are carved for decoration.
The term also applies to the circular or polygonal wall of a structure that supports a dome, cupola, or lantern, whether on the ground or raised aloft on pendentives; in this sense, it is also called a tholobate.
Finally, tambour can refer to the cylindrical stone blocks, or drums, that make up a column built in several courses.
Notes
References This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Tambour". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 388. "Tholobate" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 862.




