Corinthian capital - Marble Italy 16th century

This architectural element is a marble capital dating from the 16th century. It has all the characteristics of the Corinthian order, one of the three Greek architectural orders, whose ensemble is mainly determined by a wealth of ornamentation and a capital decorated with two rows of acanthus leaves.
Acanthus is a southern plant with broad, supple, deeply cut leaves that the Greeks used as ornamentation for their funerary steles.
From the 5th century B.C. onwards, they chose it to compose their third type of capital, the Corinthian, following on from the Doric and Ionic types. This order was used in the construction of the Temple of Zeus in Athens, the Olympiion.
The capital is also characterized by its flat back face, which was intended to form an integral part of the wall. Traces of the artist's compass can also be seen on the top.
In its classical form, the Corinthian capital is composed of two registers of stemless acanthus leaves, broad-based and slightly inclined at the top. Above the rows of acanthus leaves, two opposing scrolls extend from each corner of the capital. Two smaller, caulicolate scrolls face each other in the center. The base of the capital is curved, protruding at the corners and adorned with a flower on each side.
Our capital possesses all these features, while at the same time being carved on three sides and having its leaves worked with a drill bit.
Used since Antiquity, the drill bit is a tool used in sculpture to reach recesses, clear hard-to-reach areas and roughen small-diameter grooves. Slow and precise, it is intended for very fragile areas and hard materials such as wood, stone and marble. Its use here enhances the splendor of this marble carving.