FRIEZE AND CORNICE FROM THE TEMPLE OF VESPASIAN, 80-87 CE. CAPITOLINE MUSEUMS In 1811, in one of the earliest scientific excavations of the Forum, the architect Giuseppe Valadier discovered large pieces of nearly intact trabeation of the temple of Vespasian and Titus, and was able to reconstruct a small length of the cornice and frieze. What he found was remarkable in its complexity and detail, Flavian baroque at its best. The cornice is decorated with carved leaves at the top, and supported by corbels sporting a Lesbian kymation above an egg-and-dart frieze in which the darts have arrowheads. Below is a frieze of dentils separated by rings with two double rings below, the signature of Domitian's architect Rabirius. Below, and even more complex egg and leaf motif frames the main frieze, which is carved with symbols of priestly sacrifice between bucrania (not shown). Everything is covered in relief - note particularly the sacrificial jug which has a hunt scene on it.

#ReliefWednesday brings us to #Rome, into the #CapitolineMuseums, where by sheer good fortune we can see a partial reconstruction of the cornice and frieze of the temple of #Vespasian, and even see the secret signature of the architect #Rabirius, who built the #DomusAugustana.