Marble Modillion
Worked on three sides and attached to a roughly hewn beam-like post, this modillion was part of the cornice of a monumental stone façade. Set high into the entablature at regular intervals, these elements of architectural decoration were viewed from below and carved accordingly. A crisp acanthus leaf in relatively high relief covers the bottom face, which is cut diagonally in a modified S-shape. Each side is ornamented with an elongated scroll with a stylised tendril in the remaining triangular shape. An offset tripartite moulding borders the decorated surface at the edges and separates it from the roughly worked element, which would have been inserted into the building, remaining unseen by the viewer below.
Period
Roman period, 2nd century A.D.
Dimension
H.
18 cm (7 3⁄32 in)
D.
46 cm (18 7⁄64 in)
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in 1990 (inventory card)
