Caryatids

By N.S. Gill, About.com Guide

Caryatids are sculptural, draped, female figures used instead of columns to support the entablatures of temples. Their origins are unclear. The ancient engineer Vitruvius claims caryatids are named after the women of a Spartan town (Karyai) as punishment for their betrayal during the Persian Wars (492 - 449 B.C.). However, caryatids were created before the Persian Wars in the Near East and in Greece, at Delphi and Athens. They were also used on decorative objects. The name Caryatid may come from the posture of women worshiping at the festival at Karyai of Artemis Karyatis.

Canephorae refers to caryatids with baskets on their heads. The male counterpart of the Caryatid is the Atlas.

Source: Kenneth D. S. Lapatin "Caryatids" The Oxford Companion to Western Art. Ed. Hugh Brigstocke. Oxford University Press, 2001.