Mosaic with Imago Clipeata (Framed Portrait) of Bacchus
Date: 140-160 CE
Dimensions:
9 ft. 10 3/8 x 9 ft 9 1/2 in. (3 x 2.9 m)
Medium: limestone, polychrome marble, and glass tesserae
Place of Origin: Probably from the province of Africa (modern Tunisia)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1990.73
Label Text:Bacchus, Roman god of wine, poetry, theater, and rebirth, looks out from the center of this mosaic that once graced a small room in an elegant villa in the Roman province of North Africa. Grapevines sprout from the golden drinking cups around Bacchus, while the heads of maenads, his female followers, adorn the corners. Birds and lush floral decorations symbolize Bacchus’s powers of rebirth.
The tesserae (pieces) of this mosaic are made of colored marble, limestone, and glass (the blue-green tiles in the foliage), and are set in a cement-like grout. North African mosaicists were known for particularly fine work, using smaller tiles to produce more detailed and subtly shaded images.
The tesserae (pieces) of this mosaic are made of colored marble, limestone, and glass (the blue-green tiles in the foliage), and are set in a cement-like grout. North African mosaicists were known for particularly fine work, using smaller tiles to produce more detailed and subtly shaded images.
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In Collection(s)