In classical architecture, which term denotes female figures used as supporting columns by carrying baskets?

In classical architecture, which term denotes female figures used as supporting columns by carrying baskets?

• A. Canephora
• B. Caryatids
• C. Atlantes
• D. Telamones

Answer: (A)

When a sculpted figure takes the place of a column in classical architecture, the female form used for that purpose is called a Caryatid. These figures function as load-bearing supports, distributing the weight of the entablature through the neck and shoulders into the base, and they are most famously seen on the Porch of the Caryatids from the Erechtheion, where several women support the structure above them. Caryatids are the female counterparts to Atlantes or Telamones, which are male figures serving the same architectural role. The term Canephora, on the other hand, refers to a ritual role in Greek religion: a maiden who carries a basket of offerings during a ceremony. It’s a ceremonial designation rather than an architectural term, which is why it’s not used to describe columns or supports in buildings. So the concept being tested is recognizing the architectural term for female figures used as supporting columns, which is Caryatids, with the other terms representing related but different ideas: male equivalents and ritual basket-bearing.

When a sculpted figure takes the place of a column in classical architecture, the female form used for that purpose is called a Caryatid. These figures function as load-bearing supports, distributing the weight of the entablature through the neck and shoulders into the base, and they are most famously seen on the Porch of the Caryatids from the Erechtheion, where several women support the structure above them.

Caryatids are the female counterparts to Atlantes or Telamones, which are male figures serving the same architectural role. The term Canephora, on the other hand, refers to a ritual role in Greek religion: a maiden who carries a basket of offerings during a ceremony. It’s a ceremonial designation rather than an architectural term, which is why it’s not used to describe columns or supports in buildings.

So the concept being tested is recognizing the architectural term for female figures used as supporting columns, which is Caryatids, with the other terms representing related but different ideas: male equivalents and ritual basket-bearing.