Close-up of the colossal console depicting the minotaur from the Hadrianic Baths.
This unfinished panel shows how the carver planned out this complex decorative motif. Following initial roughing-out the border of the panel was carved, then the rough boss in the centre of the panel was flattened and the design for the central S-shaped motif laid out. The carver then worked on the inside of the S-shaped motif and the decorative floral detail on the lower left before any work was done on the exterior of this form or carving back the background of the panel. Interestingly, despite apparently sketching the design on to the boss before beginning, the carver seems to have misjudged the shape slightly so that the lower volute is crammed into the available space and is too close to the lower border of the panel.
