Canephora refers to which of the following?

• A. Female statues with baskets serving as columns
• B. Male statues with spears
• C. Animal-headed figures
• D. Winged statues

Answer: (A)

Canephora describes a type of architectural sculpture where a female figure acts as a support for the structure by bearing a basket. The term comes from the Greek for “basket bearer,” and in temples or porticoes these figures appear as if they are columns, with a basket placed on their heads as part of the load they carry. This distinguishes them from other figural supports in classical architecture, such as caryatids, where the emphasis is on the entablature resting on the figure’s head or shoulders, not a basket. So the best description is female statues with baskets serving as columns. The other options describe different iconographies—male figures with spears, animal-headed forms, or winged statues—but they do not capture the basket-bearing architectural role conveyed by canephora.