acronympathology:Eight Mosaic Floor Panels from Rome, Italy, Roman Empire (2nd century CE)These eigh
acronympathology:Eight Mosaic Floor Panels from Rome, Italy, Roman Empire (2nd century CE)These eight panels depict: the personification of Spring; the personification of autumn; an almond cake; a loaf of bread; a fish on a platter; a bound rooster; a brazier; and a sack.While on the Grand Tour, Lord Charles Kinnaird and Lord George William Russell inspected in 1823 the remains of a large mosaic that had recently been discovered in a vineyard on Monte Rosario, outside Rome’s Porta Portuensis gate. Once the floor of a luxurious home, the mosaic comprised concentric bands of multihued figural decoration as well as boldly contrasting ornamental patterns that framed a central scene. The two men purchased and divided the finds. Among the pieces of the mosaic acquired by Lord Kinnaird were eight small panels, six of which depicted still lifes of foodstuffs and objects used in the preparation of meals, while the remaining two contained the busts of figures assumed to be personifications of seasons. Roman houses were frequently adorned with wall paintings and floor mosaics depicting food and items associated with the preparation and serving of food. Such imagery was intended to convey messages to visitors about the owner’s wealth and hospitality as well as about the quantity and variety of goods available in the house. -- source link