Hinton St Mary Mosaic Roundel (SEB contracted)
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- Synopsis
- This is a Roman Britain (AD 350) stone and ceramic mosaic, approximately 1.5 metres in diametre.This is believed to be the earliest surviving depiction of Christ from Roman Britain. He is shown clean-shaven in the manner of a Roman emperor. The roundel was the centrepiece of a mosaic floor from a villa at Hinton St Mary in Dorset. The mosaic combines pagan and Christian images. Christ's identity is signified by the monogram behind his head, taken from the first two letters of his name in Greek. This circular mosaic is made up of cream, reddish brown and black tesserae (small pieces of square stone or ceramic) - the background is cream with black tesserae outlining the whole roundel, the figure and other detail while the reddish brown tesserae show shading. The figure is the head and upper body of a clean-shaven man dressed in a Roman high necked tunic and a stripy cloak draped over his shoulders. On either side of the figure's head is a circular fruit with three leaves budding from the top and recognisable as pomegranates, the symbol of eternal life. Two leaves on long stems curve round from the base of the fruit. The tactile image is seven and a half times smaller than the actual roundel. Thick solid lines show the outline detail of the whole roundel, the figure, the fruit and the letters with two textures infilling the outlines.
- Copyright:
- 2013
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Excellent
- Publisher:
- RNIB
- Date of Addition:
- 05/11/17
- Copyrighted By:
- British Museum
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Art and Architecture
- Submitted By:
- Caroline Walker
- Proofread By:
- N/A
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.