3rd C. Roman Mosaic - Geometric Quilt Pattern

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Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 9, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-03-09 10:00:00 2023-03-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-ancient-ethnographic-fine-art-12354
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• Lot Description
  **Originally Listed At $8000**
  
  Roman, late Imperial Period, Eastern Empire, ca. 3rd to 4th century CE. A mesmerizing mosaic depicting a fantastic geometric pattern expertly delineated in hundreds of hand-cut stone and glass tesserae. Boasting hues of steel blue, citron, coral, light blue, and almond, the decorative program consists of nested, concentric squares arranged in a matrix of 3 by 4. Resembling an elaborate carpet, mosaics featuring 2-dimensional decoration of repeated, geometric patterns like this example were largely popular in the Eastern Empire. Size of mosaic: 27.9" W x 36.2" H (70.9 cm x 91.9 cm); of mount: 28.1" W x 36.3" H (71.4 cm x 92.2 cm)
  
  Mosaics (opus tesellatum) are some of our enduring images from the Roman world, not only for their aesthetic beauty, but also because they reveal what Romans chose to depict and see every day decorating their private and public spaces. This example is abstract in its intention and presents the ancients' keen eye for design and fascination with geometry. In the Roman province of Syria, which encompassed most of the ancient Near East/Levant, mosaics seem to have developed as a popular art form relatively late, with most finds coming from the 3rd century CE or later. Syria was one of Rome's wealthiest provinces, but it was also far removed from Rome itself and Roman culture was overlaid on enduring cultural traditions from Hellenistic Greece and the great civilizations that came before it. For example, Antioch-on-the-Orontes (modern day Antakya, Turkey), was the capital of northern Roman Syria, and its excavations in the 1930s revealed more than three hundred mosaic pavements. Popular mosaic themes from this region were often mythological or religious scenes, depicting gods and goddesses; however, sometimes mosaics were created to fit the theme of a building or room.
  
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  Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #146548

  Condition

  Expected surface wear with minor losses, nicks, fissures, recessions, and abrasions to tesserae commensurate with age. Set in a modern plaster matrix with a metal frame. Wonderful preservation of decorative program and vibrant colors.
• Shipping Info

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