The flat slab forming the topmost member of a column capital, directly supporting the entablature above. In different architectural orders, it varies from a simple square block in Doric to an ornately molded element in Corinthian capitals.
From Latin 'abacus,' borrowed from Greek 'abax' meaning 'board' or 'tablet.' Originally referred to a counting board or table, the architectural term developed because the capital's top resembled a flat board or tablet placed on top of the column.
The humble abacus is architecture's unsung hero - this simple slab does the crucial job of transitioning from the column's round form to the rectangular entablature above! In Corinthian capitals, sculptors often carved the abacus with such delicate moldings that it seems to float like a magic carpet above the acanthus leaves.
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