CIRCA 50-20 B.C.

This attractive pilaster capital fragment belongs to a formative period of Roman architectural decoration. Belonging to the so-called Second Triumvirate Style, the phase is characterized by pilasters and capitals sculpted in a Corinthianizing manner and ornamented with four-petalled roses on long stems and multi-tooth acanthus leaves, as observed here. The present example is especially notable for the rose flower, which curves outward on a long stem to the upper corner and forms a volute. The fluent modeling of the pilaster may indicate a late date in the series, perhaps coinciding early within the reign of Emperor Augustus, circa 30-20 B.C. For a related example, see pl. XV, fig. 7 in D.E. Strong, “Some Early Examples of the Composite Capital,” The Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 50.