A caryatid is a sculpted female figure used as an architectural support; she takes the place of a column with an entablature resting on her head. The Greek term karyatides means “maidens of Karyai”, an ancient town in the Peloponnese.
Figures: Caryatids, Coade & Sealy, 1793, Coade stone; origin Buckingham House, Pall Mall, London.
