Ionic order

The Ionic Column (Greek:Ιωνικός ρυθμός) forms one of the three classical orders of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian. There are two lesser orders, the Tuscan, a plainer Doric, and the rich variant of Corinthian, the Composite order, both added by 16th-century Italian architectural writers, based on Roman practice. The Ionic columns are the thinnest and smallest columns out of the three canonic orders.