The Pataliputra capital is a monumental rectangular capital with volutes and Classical Greek designs, that was discovered in the palace ruins of the ancient Mauryan Empire capital city of Pataliputra. It is dated to the 3rd century BCE.
Pataliputra palace capital (front and left-side view), early Maurya Empire period, 3rd century BCE. Another modern photograph of the capital.
Front and the back views of the Pataliputra capital (drawing). The back has a few broken portions (top right corner), and a slightly less detailed and slightly coarser design.
Pataliputra capital front and side view. Bihar Museum.
The Classical designs on the Pataliputra capital include rosettes, bead and reels, waves, beaded moldings, volutes with inserted rosette, and stylicized flame palmette.
In architecture the capital or chapiter forms the topmost member of a column. It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface. The capital, projecting on each side as it rises to support the abacus, joins the usually square abacus and the usually circular shaft of the column. The capital may be convex, as in the Doric order; concave, as in the inverted bell of the Corinthian order; or scrolling out, as in the Ionic order. These form the three principal types on which all capitals in the classical tradition are based. The Composite order established in the 16th century on a hint from the Arch of Titus, adds Ionic volutes to Corinthian acanthus leaves.
Illustration of papyriform capitals, in The Grammar of Ornament, 1856
Nine types of capitals, from The Grammar of Ornament
Columns with Hathoric capitals, at the Temple of Isis from island Philae
Egyptian composite columns from Philae