A mosaic section depicting an antelope, an animal of paradise bounding left; possible second animal to the bottom left, composed of tesserae of various shades of cream, ochre and brown; re-mounted in a cement matrix with iron frame. 55 1/8 x 33 7/8 in. (96 kg, 140 x 86 cm).

PROVENANCE:
Acquired 1970s-1996.
Property of a North American collector.
London collection, 2016.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate no.11310-192906.

LITERATURE:
Cf. Mitchell, J., The Butrint Baptistery and its Mosaics, Tirana, 2008, figs.pp.72ff.; Ceka, N., Muçai, S., Byllis, Histoire et Monuments, Tirana, 2009, figs.34, 57b, 59; Belis, A., Roman Mosaics in the J.Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2017, figs. 9-19.

FOOTNOTES:
This mosaic section most likely came from a panel representing the animals of Paradise, like the ones represented in the Baptistery of Butrint, dated to the 5th-6th century A.D. Stylistic parallels for our antelope can also be found in the mosaics of Byllis: those of the Basilica C (Ceka, N., Muçai, 2009, pp.35ff.) with images of sheep representing the twelve Apostles; those of the exonarthex of the Cathedral, with images of deer, dogs and goats (Ceka, N., Muçai, 2009, pp.55ff.); those of the Basilica D and E, with deer drinking from the rivers of the Paradise.