Mosaic pavement. 대영박물관(The British Museum). 런던(London)

Mosaic pavement. 대영박물관(The British Museum).

런던(London). 영국(England)

 

britishmuseum.org

 

Mosaic pavement

Mosaics were found throughout the Roman Empire. They provided public buildings and private houses with rich and colourful decorations.

 

Most mosaics were made of small cubes (tesserae) of stone, glass and other materials,

laid closely together in patterns. This particular tradition originated in Greece during the third century BC, although mosaics made of coloured river pebbles were made centuries earlier.

 

Black and white designs were used, especially in Italy, but elsewhere polychrome mosaics with figured panels and geometric of floral patterns became increasingly popular.

 

The mosaics displayed here come from Halicarnassus and Ephesus in Turkey and from Carthage and Utica in Tunisia.

 

Mosaics from Roman Britain are exhibited in The Western Gallery of Roman Britain.

 

Mosaic from Halicarnassus

In his search for the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in 1856-57. C.T. Newton uncovered a Roman villa with mosaic floors in several rooms. More of the villa has recently been excavated.

 

Newton, who later became Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum, decided to record the pavements before some of them were removed. He described the process as follows:

 

'View of the greater part of the pavements were taken in photography by Corporal Spackman, RE., and the patterns of the remainder drawn by hand... The photographs were taken from a moveable stage, on which the lens was so placed as to command a vertical view of the area below. Notes of the colours were afterwards taken by hand.'

 

This was one of the earliest occaions when photography was used on an archaeological excavation.

 

 

1. Personification of the city of Halicarnassus

  4th century AD

  From Halicarnassus

The same pavement also contained busts representing the cities of Alexandria and Berytus (Beirut). perhaps indicating that the villa's owner had business interests in all three sea ports.

 

2. Corner of a pavement decorated with the winged figure of

   Spring

  4th century AD.

  From Halicarnassus

 

  When discovered the figure bore an inscription in a late Greek dealect identifying it as Spring. The lettering has not been preserved.

 

3. Wreath within a square plaited border

    Early 4th century AD

    From Halicarnassus

 

4. Cable pattern

    4th century AD

    From Halicarnassus

 

   This geometric design of guilloches alternated with figured panels to provide a lively and contrasting floor decoration.

 

5-8 Animals participating in the chase

   4th century AD

   From Halicarnassus

 

  The hunting scenes from which these panels were taken decorated the floor of the Atrium (entrance hall) of the villa.

 

9. Mask of Phobos (Fear) within a radiating petal design

    4th century AD.

    From Halicarnassus

 

10. Square from a larger pattern of geometric designs

     Early 3rd century AD

     From Utica

 

     Other sections from the same pavement are displayed above (nos 16 and 27)

 

11-12. Panels decorated with dolphins

    4th century AD.

    From Halicarnassus

  

    Dolphins figure on two seperate pavement found in the villa, reflecting the widespread popularity of these marine creatures in mosaic decoration.

 

View of the excavations at Halicarnassus in 1866-67, showing Corpural Spackman's moveable stage with Newton himself seated at the left on a wheelbarrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

크게 보기