Moroccan Column Crown or Capital

Four cedar arches, painted and carved, holding up nothing now.

Moroccan carpenters of Meknes, North Africa, made this column crown, or capital, in cedar in the early 19th century. Carved and painted wood capitals like this commonly topped interior columns in traditional Moroccan buildings. The block is faceted with a stepped upper edge and pointed horseshoe-shaped arches on each face. Red and ochre paint, with traces of gilding, outline floral and arabesque panels. The wood is dry and cracked in places, with the paint softened by age.

About eleven inches high and fourteen wide. Now a pedestal, a side table, or a very good conversation.