Archaeology | Capitals | Corinthian | Corinthian column capital with plain leaves | Artwork profile

White marble

Max. h. 42,5 cm; lower diam. 36 cm; max. w. abacus’ side 50 cm

III century AD


Report

Corinthian column capital with plain leaves

Corinthian column capital with plain leaves that shows decidedly simplified vegetal elements and yet retains some formal characteristics. It has two crowns (h. of the first crown 11 cm; h. of the second crown 23 cm) of plain acanthus leaves four of which, on the second crown, are placed at the corners; the leaves have elongated shape, are well outlined and parted from each other, with the edges and the central parts marked by a pair of thin, parallel incised lines.

The capital is devoid of some canonical features, such as the stem and the related calyx supporting the abacus’ rosette. The slightly curved cauliculi are plain and are in the shape of a narrow cone topped by a thick plain rim; the preserved volutes are still sufficiently projecting and they are supported by the plain calyx leaf, while the shortened helices are flattened, compressed under the abacus and they end with a protruding lobe simulating the spiral; the rim of the kalathos is visible and well outlined. One of the sides is only roughed out with a claw chisel, probably because it was not intended to be seen (h. of the kalathos with rim 35,5 cm; h. of the rim 1,5 cm).

In the middle of the eroded and fractured abacus (h. 6,5) it is possible to detect the traces of a bulging shape that takes the place of the abacus’ rosette (7 cm).

For its stylistic features and for the presence of some typological elements it is possible to set our capital around the middle of the III century AD.