Which order is characterized by a smooth shaft, base, and plain capital?

Which order is characterized by a smooth shaft, base, and plain capital?

• A. Doric
• B. Ionic
• C. Tuscan
• D. Composite

Answer: (C)

In classical architecture, you identify orders by three clues: the shaft treatment, whether there’s a base, and how ornate the capital is. A smooth, unfluted shaft with a base and a plain, unmabeled capital points to the Tuscan order. This is the simplest form in the Doric family and is built to be restrained and sturdy: a plain capital, a base, and a smooth shaft. By contrast, Doric usually has no base and a sturdy, often fluted shaft with a more defined capital; Ionic and Corinthian have bases, and their capitals are more decorative (volutes in Ionic, acanthus leaves in Corinthian). So the combination described—smooth shaft, base, and plain capital—best fits the Tuscan order.

In classical architecture, you identify orders by three clues: the shaft treatment, whether there’s a base, and how ornate the capital is. A smooth, unfluted shaft with a base and a plain, unmabeled capital points to the Tuscan order. This is the simplest form in the Doric family and is built to be restrained and sturdy: a plain capital, a base, and a smooth shaft. By contrast, Doric usually has no base and a sturdy, often fluted shaft with a more defined capital; Ionic and Corinthian have bases, and their capitals are more decorative (volutes in Ionic, acanthus leaves in Corinthian). So the combination described—smooth shaft, base, and plain capital—best fits the Tuscan order.