Caryatids at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term “karyatides” literally means “maidens of Karyai”, an ancient town of Peloponnese.

Trivia: An atlas or telamon is a male version of a caryatid, i.e. a sculpted male statue serving as an architectural support.