The Base.

199
to the Base itself. This natural method of decoration is also met-
with on richly decorated examples of Roman style, where a row of
Artificial leaves encircle the shaft, (Plate 123. 3).
Antique Bases are
composed of a square foundation slab (the plinth); and some mouldings
which follow the circular plan of the shaft. The well-known and
oft-used Attic Base, consists, beginning from below, of a plinth, a
great torus, fillet, scotia, fillet, upper torus, fillet and apophyge. The
last, as a quarter-hollow forms the transition between fillet and shaft.
When the plinth is decorated, which is the case only in very rich
examples, the motive is either a band or a scroll. The tori are de-
corated with braided work, as shown on Plate 99,
the hollow or
"scotia" is sometimes decorated with leaves, the smaller tori may be
treated as astragals; and so on. Plate 123 shows three rich Roman
examples. Others will be found in Botticher's Tektonik der Hellenen.
The Byzantine and Romanesque periods follow the Antique in
the treatment of Bases. The spaces which remain on the upper sur-
face of the square plinth are, however, filled up with ornament (Plate
124.
3, 7, 8, 10),
or with small animal figures, (Plate 124. 9).
In
the later Gothic style the torus overlaps the sides of the plinth,
which reduces these spaces; the corners of the plinth are also some-
times finished as shown on Plate 124. 6.
The Gothic period prefers geometrical to organic form; and se-
cures good effects by a variety of profiles placed high up on com-
posite clustered columns, (plate 124.
11)
gives an example of this.
Remark the similarity with the Chinese example, fig.
2,
which would
seem to have been suggested by a cluster of juxtaposed shafts.
The Renascence and modern styles resort to direct copying from
the Antique; but, as a rule, do not use ornamented mouldings.
The treatment of the Bases of piers and pilasters is usually
identical with that of columns; so that there is no necessity for
dealing with these separately.
Plate 123. The Base: Roman.
1. Capitoline Museum, Rome, (De Vico).
2. Temple of Concord, Rome, (De Vico).
3. Baptistery of Constantine, Rome, (Vorbilder fiir Fabrikanten und
Handwerker).
Piate 124. The Base: Romanesque, &c.
1. Egyptian, Temple of Tutmes III, Karnak, (Raguenct).
2. Chinese, (Raguenet).
3. Romanesque, coupled, Schwarzach.
4
6. Mediaeval.
7. Romanesque.