Kalinowski, Angela
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Mosaic with Animals
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Mosaic depicting various animals including: six panthers, two bears, two boars, two mouflon sheep, two ostriches, one bull, one fallow deer, one bushbuck in a harness, and one addax. Between the panthers of the upper register is an inscription in two lines: MEL (line one) QVAESTURA (line two). A partial inscription is also found on the upper left portion: ...L(?)ETI . M.
Several of the animals have numbers inscribed on their flanks: N XL (bear); N XXV (ostrich); N X (mouflon sheep); N XXX (left bear); N (line one) VI (line two) (left mouflon sheep); N XV (left addax)., Dates to c. 3rd century CE. The mosaic was found in the remains of a Roman house 3000 cm east of the amphitheatre. The numbers found on the animals represent each sort of animal that participated in the munus. The mosaic likely decorated the house of the person who held the spectacle, who was a magistrate or a priest, perhaps the quaestor of the colonia Karthago, wich may be the allusion in the inscription MEL QVAESTURA (Poinssot and Quoniam (Karthago, 1952 p. 141).
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Mosaic with Animals
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Partial mosaic depicting a variety of animals that would be used in amphitheatre spectacles. There are seven rows of approximately three animals each that are arranged in alternating patterns: bear flanked by boars or bulls and a boar or bull flanked by bears, with the exception of the bottom row which also includes a deer and an ostrich (Dunbabin 1978: p.72). The bears are all named: --] ITVS, NILVS, FEDRA, ALECSANDRIA, SIMPLICIVS, GLORIOSVS, BRACIATVS. The only remaining bull of this mosaic has the stable mark of AR and number N XVI on its flank and is the only animal on this mosaic that is numbered (Dunbabin 1978: p.72). The number XVI on the bull most likely references how many bulls took part in the spectacle (Dunbabin 2016: p.201). The partial inscription of MORI is found at the top left., Dates to c. late 3rd century CE (Dunbabin 1978: p.267). The fragmentary inscription MORI is said to be part of the name LVSIVS MORINVS; originally it was interpreted as the name of a venator, but Dunbabin indicates its more likely representative of a munerarius who had given a munus to the public (Dunbabin 1978: p.73). The bears are most likely specially trained performers as indicated by the bear climbing a pole in the middle of the mosaic (Dunbabin 1978: p.72). This type of 'animal-catalogue' was used as a commemoration of the animals that were included in a munus (Dunbabin 1978: p.72). It was most likely part of a triclinium (Dunbabin 2016: p.201)., Dunbabin, Katherine M.D. The Mosaics of Roman North Africa: Studies in Iconography and Patronage. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978.
Dunbabin, Katherine, M.D. Theater and Spectacle in the Art of the Roman Empire. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2016.
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Mosaic with Athlete
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The athlete depicted in this fragment has a broad face with a wide mouth and large almond shaped brown eyes. His hair falls in a short fringe on his forehead and at the sides of his clean-shaven face, and it may have been drawn into a cirrus or knot at the nape of his neck. This hairstyle is depicted on other athletes from the same mosaic and indicated the status of a profesional athlete. His neck is very thick and shoulders and pectorals are bulky with muscle., Dates to c. early 4th century CE. This is a part of a larger mosaic that decorated the floors of the libraries in the east and west exedrae of the baths of Caracalla complex. The mosaic is divided into rectangular and square panels which depict full length athletes, or busts of athletes. A much larger fragment of this mosaic is in the collection of the Vatican Museums (Museo Gregoriano Profano).
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Mosaic with Athletes
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Two mosaics depicting the bust of male athletes. The bust of a mature athlete appears in an octagonal panel. He has a thick beard and his hair is braided and piled into a neat bun at the front of his head. His face is very expressive with large brown almond shaped eyes, a hooked nose and a broad mouth. His neck and shoulders are bulky and well-muscled. The bust of a young athlete appears in an octagonal panel. He is beardless and his hair is closely trimmed to his skull with the exception of a topknot. His rounded face has large brown heavy lidded eyes, and a rather small concave mouth, endowing him with an air of sleepiness. His neck and shoulders are bulky and well-muscled., Dates to c. mid-4th century CE.The baths were ordered by Constantine to give Aquileia monumental thermal structure suiting its status as an imperial capital. They covered an area of about two hectares, rivalling in size the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. The baths were in use through the 5th century due to refurbishing and survived even the sack by Atilla the Hun in 452. In the 6th and 7th centuries modest habitations and a sepulchral area were built in the ruins of the baths. Up to the 13th century the walls of the baths were standing, after which they began to be dismantled and the area was turned over to agricultural use. The archaeological exploration of the area was carried out in 1922-23, 1961, 1981-87 and in 2002.
The baths complex is on the model of the roman imperial baths complexes. Two large covered aula (20X30) were located north and south of the frigidarium. They were decorated with elaborate polychrome mosaics, with the north aula having scenes in rectangles and squares from marine mythology and the south aula scenes of hunting. The north and south ends of each aula terminated in a wide rectangular panel which figured four busts of athletes enclosed in squares or octagons.
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Mosaic with Bear Fight
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Mosaic depicting bears fighting in two registers. Inscription on the top register: ]OTINA. Inscription on the bottom register: A (over left bear) S[ (near right bear)., Dates to c. 4th century CE. Editors of the mosaic Poinssot and Quoniam (Karthago, 1952, 153 ff) suggest that it commemorates a munus.
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Mosaic with Bear Hunt
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Fragmentary floor mosaic depicting a bear hunt. Depicted are four hunters wearing short tunics and tall boots. Two of the hunters are identified by name: the first is 'MINVS', of which only his arm is preserved; the other is 'LVCIVS'. The hunters are driving five bears into a net, one of which is already captured, that is arranged in a semi-circle held up by trees. Missing from this fragment is the decorative border and the rest of the depiction of the hunter Minus., Dates to c. 4th century CE. Discovered in 1901, it is an enormous floor mosaic either from a bath building or a villa. The extent of the mosaic is vast- the part owned by the Getty (since 1971) is 28 feet wide. Four other fragments are in the Naples Archaeological Museum., Belis, Alexis. Roman Mosaics in the J. Paul Getty Museum. (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2016), no. 2, entry by Kenneth Lapatin. Accessed November 29, 2017.http://www.getty.edu/publications/romanmosaics/catalogue/2/
The J. Paul Getty Trust. "Fragmentary Mosaic Floor with Bear Hunt." The J. Paul Getty Museum. Accessed November 29, 2017. http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/6916/unknown-maker-fragmentary-mosaic-floor-with-bear-hunt-roman-4th-century-ad/
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Mosaic with Charioteer Teams
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Mosaic of four charioteers with their horses representing the different factions., This mosaic was found on the upper floor in a cubiculum. The villa is believed to have belonged to the Septimii family. The different factions depicted here are green, red, white, and blue.
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Mosaic with Circus Scene
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The mosaic represents a chariot in the circus, with spectators (heads only represented) watching, in a rather naive style with squat stylised figures. This complex scene is presented from a ‘bird’s eye view, with the spina represented running down the race track. The spina is decorated with several obelisks. The artist has made an effort to represent lions within the structure of the spina, which may be a reference to the complexity of games held in the circus, that also included venationes (animal hunts). To the right are the carceres (starting gate) with four arched openings within which are nude, running male figures, placed at awkward angles relative to the gates. Again, this may be a reference to athletic competitions included as part of games. There are four chariots racing, two each on either side of the spina. Well preserved are those above the spina, chariots of the Green and Blue factiones (factions). Various attendants, some at odd angles are also represented. Above the circus are spectators under arches, shown only as heads, or busts. Other structures are also pictured in the arena, like the temple in the top left., Dates to c. 6th century CE during the Byzantine period when figured mosaics such as this one were rarely created (Dunbabin 1978: p.92)., Diehl, C. L'Afrique byzantine. Histoire de la domination byzantine en Afrique (Paris 1896): pp. 126, 169, 236.
Dunbabin, Katherine M.D. The Mosaics of Roman North Africa: Studies in Iconography and Patronage. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978.
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