KA025 (Early-Middle Roman Marble Pilaster Capital) [permalink]
Type
Inventoried Object
Material description
Creamy white, fine-grained, calcite marble with visible crystalline structure. Pentelic.
Logical part of
Inventoried Objects from the Greek-American Excavations at Koutsongila
Typological identification
Capital
Comparanda
cf. Arapoyianni1993, pp. 179–180, nos. Λ185-Λ196, figs. 68–74 (Roman bath at Brexisa near Marathon)
Comparanda
sim. CorinthI.2, p. 64, no. 7, fig. 43 (near Captives Facade, Early–Middle Roman)
Comparanda
sim. CorinthI.4, p. 120, pl. 37.3 (Fountain House in the South Stoa, “probably shortly before the middle of the first century after Christ”)
Comparanda
sim. CorinthII, pp. 118–120, nos. 114, 115, fig. 93 (Theater, 2nd century)
Comparanda
sim. CorinthX, pp. 102–103, 144, nos. 38–40, figs. 88–90 (Odeum, third quarter 2nd century)
Comparanda
sim. Gregory1995, p. 295, pl. 53:b, c (Roman Bath, Isthmia, Hadrianic–Antonine)
Description
Lower and middle portion of Corinthian pilaster capital with finely sculpted floral motifs. Relief is higher in upper portion (D. 0.012) than in center (D. 0.005). Two half acanthus leaves along right and left borders surrounding full acanthus leaf in middle. Lobes have three triangular tips each, stems are flat, and veins are marked by grooves. Out of central acanthus leaf grows twisted stalk that follows stone’s vertical axis. Growing out from behind acanthus leaf on either side is curved stem with fluted sheath (cauliculus). Each stem ends in bud with three petals (calyx) that opens into double blossom of helices rendered as grooved strips that arc outward. Carving is sharp and design is symmetrical but forms are schematic. Stone’s back has central raised panel (D. 0.002–0.003), roughly worked with pick, and broad patches of mortar from attachment to wall. It would have surmounted a fluted, boxed half column.
Preservation comment
Two joining fragments preserve front and back and the bottom, right, and left edges apart from small chip along right side; upper part snapped off horizontally. Well preserved.
Published as
RifeAndrikou2022b, pp. 1147-1148, 1152, 1172-1173, no. 866, fig. 24.13
Preserved length
0.105
Thickness
0.016
Thickness
0.025
Width
0.187
Belongs to Historical Period
Early Roman (Historical Period)
Belongs to Historical Period
Middle Roman (Historical Period)
Material
Marble (Material)
Drawing
Photograph