ADANA VE MERSIN MÜZELERI'NDEKI FIGÜRLÜ BASLIKLAR/Figured Capitals in the Adana and Mersin Museums

Six human and animal figured capitals exist in the Adana and Mersin Museums. Two of them are human heads and a bust (Cat. No: 1-2), while others are animal figures (Cat. No: 3-6). The bust of Thekla, the most important saint of Isauria, is presented on one of the kalathos faces in Cat. No: 1. A human head exists in the place of abacus flowers on all four sides of the capital in Cat. No: 2 and a Greek cross is placed under the heads. Cat. No: 3 is in the group of two-part basket heads, the lower part of which is a basket and the upper part of which is an animal protome. The lower part with basket has an eagle figure. Two eagles and two large acanthus leaves appear on the kalathos of the Cat. No: 4. Cat. No: 5 is a capital with acanthus leaves, garlands and a figure. While a floral motif exists in the middle of the two garlands, a mountain goat figure occurs on the other two garlands. A broken head of a bird figure occurs beneath one of the small volutes on the corners of the capital and another one occurs over the garlands. The acanthus-leaves of the capitals made of Proconnesian marble have gained local identity by combining the features of Cilicia and Isauria region as seen in Cat. No: 5. The acanthus leaves carved in bas-relief and fine-tipped technique and in traditional form covers the whole surface of the kalathos and thus the light-shadow effect formed with the back surface is given in a highly successful way. Animal figures on the front surface of the Cat. No: 6 are either bull or ox. The figure of two standing goats eating the fruits and leaves of the tree of life-like plant appear on the lateral side. The prevalent figured capitals in the Adana and Mersin Museums are integrated in Corinthian type capitals which in terms of form, follow the ancient tradition. An example is a two-part basket Type, which is the discovery of the Capital city (sub-section is basket, and the upper part is of the animal protome figure) and the other example is the garland type which is of Syrian origin and is one of the variations made in the Capital; both examples were made with local materials. Animal figures on the capitals, which are influenced by the forms and motifs of the capital workshops and integrated with local characteristics, are often used as the symbol of Jesus, the Bible writers and the penitent people whose sins are forgiven in paradise narrations. Evaluated together with similar examples from the capital and other regions, the stylistic features of the