The Acanthus is one of the oldest plants in the Mediterranean. It's distinctive leaf shape was adapted as early as the 5th c BC, in a decorative stylized form, by a Greek sculptor, who was inspired by a votive basket left beside the grave of a young girl - some toys had been put into the basket and a tile placed over the top for protection. An acanthus plant had grown up through the cross weave of the basket over time, its leaves protruding gracefully. The sculptor was so taken by the visual impact, that he adapted it to create the classical capital known as the 'Corinthian Capital', an important element in Greek and Roman architecture.
The use of the acanthus leaf was so beloved by the Romans that they invented the 'Composite Capital', which incorporates both the acanthus leaf and the ionic scroll. It was also used extensively in other forms of decoration, in every medium and has endured to the present day. It symbolises eternal life, or life after death, rebirth and reincarnation.
Here, in an old, shady street, lined with Art Deco houses in Baroda, the acanthus leaf decorates a wrought iron lantern.
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