noun
- a figure of a young woman carrying a basket of fruit or flowers on her head, used as a supporting column in classical architecture
Usage: also spelled caryatid in some contexts; from Greek kanephoros, meaning basket-bearer; architectural and art history term
Examples
- The temple's portico was decorated with caneophors supporting the entablature.
- Ancient Greek architects often used caneophors as ornamental structural elements.
- The museum's collection includes a marble canephor from the classical period.
- In classical design, a canephor serves both a decorative and structural purpose.