The earliest examples of balustrades comes from ancient bas-reliefs, or sculptural murals, dating from sometime between the 13th and 7th centuries b.c. In depictions of Assyrian palaces, balustrades can be seen lining the windows.

Who invented the balustrade?

Rudolf Wittkower withheld judgement as to the inventor of the baluster and credited Giuliano da Sangallo with using it consistently as early as the balustrade on the terrace and stairs at the Medici villa at Poggio a Caiano (c 1480), and used balustrades in his reconstructions of antique structures.

What's the difference between a banister and a balustrade?

A “balustrade” is a sequence of balusters that support a handrail. A “banister” (also spelled with two “n”s) is another name for a staircase baluster, but many architects and interior designers prefer to use the word “banister” to refer to a narrower, more modern support.