History

Greek Ionic Order at Rowan County Courthouse in Salibury, NC

The Ionic order of classical architecture dates back to about 600 BC from the land of Ionia in southwestern Greece.  It is thought to be a product of ancient Egyptian and Assyrian architecture.  It's first documented use was at the temple of Hera in Samos, but according to historical documents or archeological discovery, it was determined to have fallen only a decade after completion.  Later, and still ancient, uses of the Ionic order have been documented well and are still standing for study today.  One of the most famous Greek examples is on the Acropolis in Athens.  The east portico of the Erectheion has classically Greek Ionic columns, as does the temple on the Illissus; both boast larger volutes than their later Roman counterparts (figure 1).  The strangely familiar shape of the column capital has been said to sculpturally and abstractly symbolize the curls of hair of a young woman.  This has been speculated because of the anthropomorphization of each of the classical orders: Doric- Man; Ionic- Woman; Corinthian- God. (figure 2)  While this may or may not be the intent of the originators of the Ionic order, there are elements in nature that closely resemble the volutes of the Ionic order.  The section of a Nautilus shell shows the sterotypical spiral that one finds on an Ionic volute, in nearly the same proportions of reduction.  The rate at which fern leaves diminish in size has also been likened to the rate at which the Ionic volute diminishes toward its center.  At the heart of the matter is the mathematical equation known as the Fibonacci Series, which represents a series of numbers where one number equals the the sum of the two proceeding numbers, such as 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34... and so on.  This is the mathematical equivalent to the rate at which the Ionic volute, in most cases, spirals inward toward its center, the eye.

Centuries later the Romans discovered Greek architecture and, like many other cultures, made it their own (figure 3).  Roman Ionic orders typically have smaller volutes, are more proportionally slender, and have more sophisticated entablatures, which includes a more ornamental treatment to all of the elements. (figure 4)

Far closer to our current place in time, French architects developed an application of ornament to the Roman Ionic order that became emblematic of the Ionic order in France- they included drops from the volutes (figure 5).  Since then, the French Ionic capital has been used around the world, along with the Roman and the robust Greek.

Elements

The most notable characteristic of the Ionic order is the volutes (or scrolls) of the column capital (figure 6).  A characteristic element of the Ionic column capital is the echinus, which is almost always decorated with the egg-and-dart motif.  Below the echinus is an astragal, commonly decorated with the bead-and-reel.  Below that is the cincture at the top of the column shaft.

The Ionic order characteristically includes flutes on the column shaft, something it shares with the Corinthian and Composite orders;  and a way that it differs from the Doric, which has channels and arrises.  Ionic flutes are  deeper and elliptical or semi-circular vertical channels that are separated by a fillet.  There are typically 24 flutes on Ionic column shafts.

The Ionic column is the first of the Greek classical orders to include a column base.  Ionic bases come in many shapes, including the Asiatic and the attic.  The Asiatic base has horizontal reeding around the bottom and on the torus at the top of the base.  The attic base has two tori separated by two scotiae and a combination of beads and fillets.

Above the column in the entablature, the Ionic architrave is stepped out and up toward the teania, the top of the architrave.  The frieze of the Ionic entablature is commonly decorated with carved or applied ornamentation, and can be either a vertical or convex face (known as pulvination).  The cornice notoriously has dentils right below a bed mold, which supports a corona and cymatium at the very top.

Proportions

The proportions of the Ionic order have changed over time- from the original Greek versions, the Romans (and most architects since the canonization of the classical orders of architecture) draw the Ionic column nine times the diameter of the shaft just above the bottom cincture (D).  The entire Ionic entablature is typically 2.25D and the the pedestal is 3D.  The capital of the column is .5D , as is the base.  The architrave is divided thus: architrave- 5/8D; frieze- 6/8D; cornice- 7/8D.

All of the minutea in the order is also based on D, which is sometimes half the dimeter at the base of the shaft, instead of the whole diameter.  A CAD file of the Ionic order is available to registered Grand Tradition members (here).

Usage

If the Tuscan order is reserved for basements and the most utilitarian uses, and the Doric is used for more elegantly carrying substantial visual masses, then the Ionic joins the team in a further refined capacity.  The Ionic order has become closely associated with domesticity, orderliness, refinement, and sophistication.  From the houses of government to the houses of civilians, the Ionic order has maintained a dominant spot in residential architecture around the world. (figure 7)  The Ionic order has been manipulated in various ways to be manipulated into various styles- Romanesque and Art Deco are a couple of examples.

For more information on the Ionic order of classical architecture, consider these books:

William Ware's American Vignola
Georges Gromort's Elements of Classical Architecture
Palladio's Four Books of Architecture

The figures used in this article:

figure 1- Greek Ionic	figure 2- The feminine Ionic	figure 3- Roman Ionic

figure 4- The decorated Ionic	figure 5- French Ionic	figure 6- Volutes and bases

figure 7- House in Salisbury, NC

Some additional images:

Chesterwood, Home of Daniel Chester French	Ionic capital at Chesterwood	Rowan County Courthouse in Salisbury, NC

Ionic order at Versailles	Various Ionic orders documented by Robert Chitham	Ionic portico at Columbia University