Indian Half Pillar with Carved Capitol and Stone Base

It holds up nothing now, which leaves more time for standing around looking good.

From Maharashtra, India, comes this half pillar with carved capital, made in the late 19th century, some 150 years back. The materials are teakwood and stone. Merchants and landowning families in the region built large courtyard houses around posts like this, which carried the roof and showed off the carver's skill. The rounded shaft is framed by flat pilasters and interrupted by a ladder of carved blocks at mid-height. At the top, leaves curl outward beneath a square cap. A rough stepped stone base grounds it all. Ninety-seven inches high.

A single column makes its own architecture.