Corinthianizing pilaster capital

Small scale corinthianizing pilaster capital with a kalathos in the shape of a truncated pyramid (h. with rim 16 cm) and an abacus with slightly concave sides. It is dressed with four large acanthus leaves placed at the corners (h. 15 cm) that strongly adhere to the kalathos and that show very elongated points, marked by a central groove and lateral indentations; all leaves have a curved tip supporting the corners of the abacus. In the middle of each face, between the corner leaves, appears an elongated water leaf (h. 17 cm) with lightly incised central spine and diagonal lines; the tip reaches the abacus, overlapping to its centre. The vegetal ornaments are thus completely flattened and devoid of any form of volume. The surface appears eroded and rather chipped.

The abacus (h. 6 cm), moulded with plain fillets, rests on the kalathos and, in the middle of its wider sides, is decorated with a pair of four petal flowers, with central button yet without stem.

On the whole, the piece is handled in a poorly plastic way, with the vegetal elements proper to the Corinthianizing capital treated in an extremely stylized and simplified manner; the vegetal ornamentation is rendered by means of grooves that strongly mark the marble surface and not with the use of the drill.

Considering such stylistic and technical features it is possible to set our artefact between the end of the III and the IV century AD.