colgadura

Colgadura is a Spanish noun that refers to the act or result of hanging something, as well as the device or system used to suspend objects. The term is commonly applied to items displayed by hanging, such as pictures, tapestries, banners, and lightweight sculptures, as well as to the hardware and arrangements that enable such display. In everyday language, colgadura can denote both the hanging itself and the decorative piece that is hung.

In art and museum contexts, colgadura describes the mounting and hanging system that supports a work on a wall, including brackets, hooks, rails, cables, and other hardware, as well as considerations of weight, balance, and safety. The word can also designate a wall hanging or tapestry, i.e., a textile or fabric piece intended for display.

Regional variations exist: the word is more frequently used in Latin America; in Spain, speakers may prefer phrases like sistema de suspensión or colgar for the verb and colgante or pieza colgada for the noun. The plural colgaduras can refer to multiple hanging devices or multiple hanging artworks.

Etymology: from the verb colgar, with the suffix -adura forming an abstract noun indicating an action or result.