LOT 0155

Large Late Roman Mosaic with Inlaid Glass Birds

6TH CENTURY A.D.

83 1/2 x 80 3/4 in. (2.12 x 2.05 m).

Rectangular panel of decorative mosaic tesserae comprising: wave pattern border in cream and graduated blue-grey tesserae with darker outer edge; inner border of graduated maroon and dark blue-grey tesserae; central field with two inner rows of four and two outer rows of five parakeets in various standing and perching poses, each formed from blue and green glass tesserae with white, crimson and other detailing to the eye, beak and chest; embedded in a sturdy steel-framed matrix of traditional mid 20th century type.

with Leon Simard, 1960s, Montreal, Canada.
Archaeologia Gallery, 1980s.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12966-244460.

Cf. very similar mosaic in Louvre, inventory nos. MND 1950; Ma 3459, in Kondoleon, C. (ed.), Antioch : the lost ancient city, cat. exp. (Publié à l'occasion de l'exposition Antioch : the lost ancient city, Worcester art museum 7 octobre 2000-4 février 2001, Cleveland art museum 18 mars-3 juin 2001, Baltimore museum of art 16 septembre-30 décembre 2001), Princeton, N. J., Princeton University Press, 2000, pp. 136, 137, n° 25.

The design of repeated birds against a neutral field is similar to patterns found on Late Roman and Sassanian textiles of roughly the same date, especially silk and wool textiles woven on more mechanised looms. Birds of all varieties appear frequently in floor mosaics and other arts of the Roman period; however, beribboned birds are rare.