Lot 26A
Near East, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. This is one of the Four Seasons series which was a favorite theme in antiquity. Almost a perfect square, this finely detailed example features polychrome tesserae of blue, turquoise, green, pink and red set against a ground of cream. She is an amazing beauty, head tilted to her left, she wears a foliate wreath of grapevines and grapes. The presence of the grapes suggests that it is Autumn. The grapes are the attribute of Dionysos and the composition suggests that it is a bacchante; the wonderful representation of the wings representing the wind confirm that it is a Season. Parallels with wings are known from Antioch, Spain and Libya. This mosaic panel would most likely have been from the dining room of a private villa rather than from a public building and would have been accompanied by the other three seasons. Size: 59"W x 60"H, This mosaic has been honeycombed. Honeycomb is a space age material used in the aerospace industry. Originally made by Hexel which used it for skis and airplane wings. It's ultralight and ultra strong. It's called honeycomb because it looks like the original structures of bees. It can be made from many materials including aluminum and cardboard. Flexing can be a disaster for a mosaic. Honeycombing will not allow that to happen. The mosaics mounted on honeycomb are less than half the weight of the old cement mosaics. Large older cement mosaics tend to crack because of the flexing. IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to size and weight, this lot will require crating. Please inquire about shipping cost to your destination prior to bidding.
Literature: For an example of "Spring" cf. Bonham Exhibition catalogue, La Mosaique Greco-Romaine II, (Vienna 1971), pf. LXII, no.1. For a description of Seasons, please see "Domestic and Divine, Roman Mosaics in the House of Dionysos" by Christine Kondoleon, Cornell University Press, 1994, pp. 87 - 104.
Provenance: Ex-private French collection aquired in the early 80's from an old Swiss collection.
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#110559
- Condition: The condition of this mosaic is so fine that the viewer actually has an impression of three dimensionality. This mosaic has been honeycombed. Honeycomb is a space age material used in the aerospace industry. Originally made by Hexel which used it for skis and airplane wings. It's ultralight and ultra strong. It's called honeycomb because it looks like the original structures of bees. It can be made from many materials including aluminum and cardboard. Flexing can be a disaster for a mosaic. Honeycombing will not allow that to happen. The mosaics mounted on honeycomb are less than half the weight of the old cement mosaics. Large older cement mosaics tend to crack because of the flexing.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |