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© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University
Corinthian Capital
© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University
© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University
© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University
ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art

Corinthian Capital

CultureRoman
PeriodSeveran
Dateearly 3rd Century CE
MediumMarble
Credit LineGift of Harvey Smith
Dimensions14 15/16 x 10 7/8 x 14 1/2 in. (37.9 x 27.6 x 36.8 cm)
Object number1992.009
Label TextGreek architects invented the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders which have formed the basis of nearly all western architecture. Roman architects favored the Corinthian order because of the versatility and elegance of its floral capital, based on the acanthus leaf. They used the order both for structural support and as a decorative scheme in multistoried facades. The scale and unfinished backs of the capitals exhibited here suggest that they originally belonged to a facade decorated with a screen of columns. Such richly ornamented facades appear in libraries, gymnasia, theatres, gates, fountains, and bath buildings during the Imperial period. The deep drillwork suggests that the capitals belong to the Severan period around the turn of the third century A.D.
Exhibition HistoryAn Enduring Ideal: Classical Art from the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, November 1, 1992 - February 15, 1993
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, 1994 - May 2004
ProvenanceEx coll. Harvey Smith (ca. 1910-1995), New York, New York.
Status
Not on view
Collections
  • Greek and Roman Art