This listing is for a quality alabaster Greek Ionic column. Total dimensions (approx.): 2.5" (6 cm) x 2.5" (6 cm) x 8.8" (L x W x H). The column is white with a patina of aging (as in photos).
About the Ionic Order
The Ionic order forms one of the three classical orders of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian.
The Ionic order originated in the mid-6th century BC in Ionia, the southwestern coastland and islands of Asia Minor settled by Ionian Greeks, where an Ionian dialect was spoken. The Ionic order column was being practiced in mainland Greece in the 5th century BC. It was most popular in the Archaic Period (750–480 BC) in Ionia. The first of the great Ionic temples was the Temple of Hera on Samos, built about 570–560 BC by the architect Rhoikos. It stood for only a decade before it was leveled by an earthquake. A longer-lasting 6th century Ionic temple was the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Parthenon, although it conforms mainly to the Doric order, also has some Ionic elements. A more purely Ionic mode to be seen on the Athenian Acropolis is exemplified in the Erechtheum.
Following the conquests of Alexander the Great in the east, a few examples of the Ionic order can be found as far as Pakistan with the Jandial temple near Taxila. Several examples of capitals displaying Ionic influences can be seen as far away as Patna, India, especially with the Pataliputra capital, dated to the 3rd century BC, and seemingly derived from the design of the Ionic anta capital.
About Alabaster
Alabaster is derived from Greek "ἀλάβαστρος" ("alabastros") or "ἀλάβαστος" ("alabastos"), both used to denote a vase of alabaster, it is a translucent rock with similar properties to marble and it has been used for centuries for statuary, carvings, and other ornaments. Alabaster is processed to form a thin powder which is then mixed with resins and other components to provide high quality art products and decorative items with fine detail and a very smooth finish.
Please note that the item listed in this page is a hand finished, high quality, alabaster cast.
Product Disclaimer
Due to monitor settings, monitor pixel definitions and other factors, the color in the image may vary slightly from the actual color of the product. Furthermore, because the products are finished one at a time by hand, it is almost impossible to create identical items. Items may therefore have natural blemishes/variations that are not product flaws.