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THBFine Roman Stone Mosaic w/ Sea Creatures
Lot 34b
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$50,000 - $70,000
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| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
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| $100,000 | $10,000 |
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Dec 3, 2020
Set Reminder
2020-12-03 10:00:00
2020-12-03 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities, Ethnographic & Fine Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-ethnographic-fine-art-6119
Features classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fine Art, so much more! All legally acquired, legal to sell. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Features classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fine Art, so much more! All legally acquired, legal to sell. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (381)
- Lot Description
Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd to 4th century CE. A gorgeous aquatic-themed mosaic that is skillfully composed with thousands of square stone tesserae in hues of beige, sienna, teal, jet, fuchsia, marigold, crimson, smoky gray, lavender, and salmon. The mosaic features recognizable creatures such as a crab, a squid with a yellow-bellied sea snake, a C-shaped eel, and a hermit crab along with several varieties of fish with forked tails and colorfully scaled bodies. A teardrop-shaped horseshoe crab is present along with a circular clam shell, and a large, manatee-like creature swims across the middle of the composition. Bi-chrome bands of colored tesserae are indicative of moving waves and sea water with even a black, gray, and red bunch of seaweed near the lower left corner. Size (mosaic): 46" W x 34.25" H (116.8 cm x 87 cm); (frame): 47.3" W x 36.3" H (120.1 cm x 92.2 cm)
This piece was likely located in a Roman formal dining room (triclinium). Extravagant feasts played an important role in ancient Roman society; however, some objected to such indulgences. Interestingly, Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE) enforced laws to put an end to gluttonous menus and excessive spending for such affairs. Nevertheless, these laws could not stop the elite from enjoying lavish meals which oftentimes included delicacies from the sea!
Mosaics (opus tesellatum) are some of our most enduring images from the Roman world, exciting 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. Aquatic and maritime subjects were popular in Greco-Roman art. One of the most beautiful examples is in the House of the Faun in Pompeii (end of 2nd century BCE, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples). Another from Piazza Armerina, room 22, depicts an entertaining scene of winged Erotes reeling in their catch (4th century CE).
In ancient Rome, fish was generally more coveted than other forms of 'meat'. According to scholar Deborah Ruscillo, "Eating well was not just a daily ritual, it was a philosophy and a way of life in Imperial Rome. Your reputation and acceptance in the upper echelons of society was often determined by your abilities as a generous host and as a connoisseur. " ("When Gluttony Ruled!" Archaeology - a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America, volume 54 number 6, November/December 2001)
Cf. Dunbabin, Katherine M.D. "Mosaics of The Greek and Roman World." Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1999, p. 48, fig. 46.
Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York, New York, USA, acquired between late 1988 and 1989; ex-The Time Machine Co., Queens, New York, USA
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.
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#161027Mounted on a concrete backing and framed. Losses to a few tesserae commensurate with age and fragility, with chips and abrasions to others, light encrustations within some recessed areas, and very light fading to colors of some tesserae. Wonderful preservation to aquatic creatures and tesserae coloration.Condition
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