The Ionic column shown in the plate illustrates the Attic Base which is commonly used in the Ionic order. This base has an extra torus or “attic†above the lower torus. Both tori are separated by two fillets and a scotia.
As with the Doric order, the base is D high and has an 8/6 D wide plinth. The plinth is 1/6 D high or 1/3 the height of the base. A large torus sits above the plinth and has a fillet at its centerline. To draw the scotia, it is best to first construct the smaller torus with its flanking fillets and then place a swooping curve between the offset fillets of the two tori. Note that the upper fillet above the smaller torus is part of the shaft and not the base.
The shaft is divided into 24 semicircular hollows or flutes which are separated by fillets. Each flute is four times wider than the fillet. When drawn freehand, the flute is about 1/9 D.
The Ionic Capital is shown in front elevation which shows the scroll volutes in elevation. From the top of the abacus to the bottom of the volutes is slightly more than D.
Drawing of the capital is facilitated by the use of a dashed line on each side of the column centerline which follows the line of lower D. From that line, the square abacus projects 1/18 D. The volutes below the abacus follow the geometry of the abacus and help visually mediate between the round echinus and astragal below. On the left side of the capital, a section through the capital at the centerline shows the horizontal channel of the volutes which is straight in relation to the rounded elements.
The eye of the volute is centered down 1/3 D from the top of the abacus and across D from the center line of the column; its diameter is 1/18 D. Drawing the volutes with precision can be accomplished by following the diagram on the succeeding plate. If the volutes are drawn by hand at a small scale, they can be drawn by creating a series of half circles which get progressively smaller as they move closer to the eye. There is a space of 2/3 D between each volute.
Horizontal dimensions for the echinus and astragal can be carried over from the section to construct these elements in elevation. The echinus almost always has the egg and dart or egg and talon ornamentation. There are generally three eggs visible. Sprigs of honeysuckle fill in the gap between the end eggs and the volute.
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