Composite column capital

Composite capital that has the canonical decorative features on the echinus and volutes, while over the kalathos it lacks the flowered tendrils and one of the crowns of acanthus leaves.

The kalathos is dressed with a row of eight, well spaced acanthus leaves which are carved with a large midrib, flanked by a pair of ridges, and with five indented lobes devoid of points; only the corner leaves supporting the volutes are fully carved, whereas the central ones have intentionally been only outlined with deep incised lines, thus taking up the appearance of a palmette.

Above the kalathos rim (h. of the kalathos with rim 20,5 cm; rim 1,8) our piece retains all the canonical features of the Composite capital, with an astragal (h. 1,5 cm) made of elongated beads and rhomboid reels and topped by the Ionic ovolo (h. 7 cm) that has, on either side, three eggs cut on the upper part, of which the lateral ones are partially covered by the half-palmettes; the well outlined casings are linked to one another on their upper part by a flat strip from which emerge crisply cut darts. The volutes’ channel (h. 16,5) is taken up by a rich scroll with small indented leaves that penetrates into the spiral almost until its central rosette, the latter furnished with a drill hole in the middle (diam. of volutes 10 cm).

The abacus (h. 7 cm; abacus’ side 47 cm), with concave sides, is carved with the usual pair of projecting fillets and is supported by the curls of the protection leaves springing from the volutes; only one of the rosettes decorating the abacus’ sides is preserved, as the others are broken and chipped, and it is carved in the form of a stylized calyx-shaped flower.

Comparisons can be made with some Composite capitals from Ostia and from the Baths of Caracalla.

The stylistic handling, the schematism in the rendering of some elements proper to the Composite capital and the lack of flowered tendrils together with the kalathos dressed with a single crown of acanthus leaves, some of which not wholly carved, suggest to set this artefact in the first half of the III century AD.