Incredible pair of composite Ionic order capitals.
Carved from a single piece of solid oak, one of the most difficult woods to carve given its extremely high density and hardness.
These two capitals probably date back to the 17th / 18th century, on some carvings, as can be seen from the photos, there are signs of ancient lacquering lost over the centuries.
These elements were probably created as load-bearing architectural elements, if they had in fact been simple decorative elements the ancient carvers would not have chosen a material as hard as Rovere wood.
The composite Ionic architectural order was already used by the ancient Romans who used the Ionic volutes at the four corners of the capitals to decorate those of the Corinthian order.
The pair on sale here is decorated at the base with a further ring carved with spheres and acanthus leaves; the complexity and refinement of the carvings suggests a truly noble commission from the Baroque era.
Measurements:
Height 26 cm
Width by Depth 30/32 x 30/32 cm
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SILVER Seller in Mantova, Italy
