Fine Roman Mosaic of River God w/ Horns & Cornucopia

Roman, Eastern Mediterranean, possibly near Antioch, Imperial Period, ca. 3rd to 4th century CE. An impressive section of a dado from a Roman mosaic depicting a semi-recumbent river god propped up on a red object, perhaps a stone, as he faces to his right, all delineated from thousands of square, triangular, and rectangular stone tesserae of russet, sienna, chocolate brown, taupe, golden ochre, tan, gray, peach, black, olive green, vermilion red, white, and black hues against a creamy beige ground. Traditional to river god iconography, the strong figure is shown as an older man of muscular stature with a gray coiffure and beard. He holds an upright cornucopia symbolizing fertility and abundance in one hand and a lengthy river reed in the other. A green cloak falls in billowing folds from his left arm, covering his lower body, its languid nature reminiscent of the body of water over which he rules. Size: 102" L x 28.5" H (259.1 cm x 72.4 cm)

A pair of horns cap his head, an attribute sometimes associated with river gods, similar to the serpent tail that extends outwards from the other side of his cloak, indicating that one leg is serpentine, as river gods were in some cases said to be half reptile. The powerful god is flanked by lovely geometric decorations, consisting of a floral or star motif on the left and a knot-like design on the right.

Images of river gods were displayed throughout the Roman world, most notably as gigantic marble statues that became so well known in the Renaissance. These statues often had aquatic animals as part of their plinths and their hair would have had a reed - or seaweed-like quality. They were often found as part of fountains in public monuments, on the walls of wealthy villas near water sources, or on sarcophagi. These statues ranged from the massive Nile and Tiber figures, now held by the Vatican and Louvre respectively, to smaller statuary throughout the Roman provinces.

Mosaics (opus tesellatum) are some of our enduring images from the Roman world, not only for their aesthetic beauty, but also because they reveal what Romans chose to depict and see every day decorating their private and public spaces. In the Roman province of Syria, which encompassed most of the ancient Near East/Levant, mosaics seem to have developed as a popular art form relatively late, with most finds coming from the 3rd century CE or later. Syria was one of Rome's wealthiest provinces, but it was also far removed from Rome itself and Roman culture was overlaid on enduring cultural traditions from Hellenistic Greece and the great civilizations that came before it. For example, Antioch-on-the-Orontes (modern day Antakya, Turkey), was the capital of northern Roman Syria, and its excavations in the 1930s revealed more than three hundred mosaic pavements.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection; ex-private Swiss collection, brought to USA in 1989

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#167997
Condition Report: Mounted on a concrete backing and framed. Losses to a few tesserae commensurate with age, with chips and abrasions to other tesserae in scattered areas, light encrustations, and light fading to colors of some tesserae. Gorgeous preservation to decorative motifs and wonderful remains of tesserae coloration.