Archaeology | Architectural Elements | Facing Elements | Small pilaster with base | Artwork profile

White marble

Max. h. 63 cm; w. 33 cm; d. 21 cm

Middle of the III cent. AD


Report

Small pilaster with base

There remains, in a monolithic block, the lower part of a small fluted-shaft pilaster with its base, resting on a non-projecting plinth. The simple attic base, resting on a high rectangular plinth (h. 5 cm), is strongly simplified. It is formed by the canonical elements: a slightly protruding lower torus (h. 4 cm) and an upper torus (h. 3.5 cm) divided by a scotia with open profile (h. 3.5 cm; d. 1 cm), framed by two fillets (h. 1.5 cm and h. 0.7 cm).

The fluted shaft (max. h. 42.5) of the pilaster is connected to the base by means of a cavetto and a plain fillet (h. 2 cm, projects 1.5 cm). The shaft has deep flutings, separated by flat fillets (w. 1.8 cm), that are in the number of two on the front side and four on the right and left sides, while the rear of the block is worked with a point chisel which left circular shallow holes, showing that the pilaster must have been placed against a wall.

The characteristic that sets chronologically the pilaster and its base in the III century AD is the schematism in the handling of the decorative elements, namely the reduced concavity of the scotia and the diminished height of the tori.