Late-Roman capitals from the medieval baths

Today we bring you two such items, precisely from this period, which can be seen in the Moorish Baths (‘hammam’) in the Gibraltar National Museum (which date to the Marinid period in the 14th century). They are the capitals crowning two columns in the ‘warm room’ (‘bayt al-wastani’) of the Baths. This room, is the most spacious and decorated room of the Baths, with a large vaulted ceiling and two opposing façades each with three pointed horseshoe arches, supported by marble columns. The columns have Islamic capitals but two of these capitals date from Late Antiquity. Where they originated from exactly is not known, but the proximity of Carteia, one of the largest cities in this area in Late Antiquity, suggests a possible origin.

During Late Antiquity, the classic Roman models were still being used, mainly the Corinthian and composite orders. We also observe the imitation of oriental models, in this case Byzantine, although it may not have been a direct influence from the east since there was a Byzantine presence in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar between the 6th and 7th century CE, as part of the ‘Renovatio impreii’ (empire renewal) territories of Justinian I. Both styles of capitals, of classic Byzantine influence, are present in the Marinid baths of the Gibraltar National Museum.

No. 1 is a limestone Corinthian capital inspired by the classic Roman standards, with a double crown of veined Acanthus, dating from the 4th century CE. No. 2 is of Byzantine influence, also in limestone, with a crown of triangular leaves with a central rib, and the stems of volutes arranged in a V shape arising between the leaves of this crown. This leaf design can be found on the capitals of sites such as the Visigoth city of Recópolis (Guadalajara, Spain) and is dated between the 6th and 7th centuries CE.