Roman, late Imperial Period, ca. 3rd to early 5th century CE. A remarkable rectangular tesserae mosaic depicting a scene of two slender sight hounds. The dogs are composed from hundreds of square and rectangular stone tesserae in earthen hues of gray, pinks, peach, tan, brown, wheat, brick-red, cream, and black. The two dogs stand on a linear ground with a few tufts of grass at their feet. The forward positioned dog looks over his shoulder at his companion as if to check for a signal to play or chase after some prey! They both are both portrayed with almond-shaped eyes, a pair of perky ears laid back atop the top of the head, and red-hued collars wrap around their necks. The rest of the body is streamlined with a slightly rounded chest that tapers up to a narrow but muscular neck, and a sinuous tail that curls slightly at the tip - very much like greyhounds or whippets of today. Size (mosaic): 41.375" W x 30.875" H (105.1 cm x 78.4 cm); (matrix): 44.3" W x 33.25" H (112.5 cm x 84.5 cm)

Mosaics (opus tesellatum) are some of our enduring images from the Roman world. They reveal everyday life, social interactions, and even things like clothing styles, personal ornament, and the interior of buildings in ways other styles of Roman art generally do not and give us an idea of what themes and decorations Romans wanted to encounter every day on the interior of their homes and public spaces. This mosaic may have been intended for a public space within a Roman villa such as an atrium, a vestibulum, or a triclinium - to remind the visitors of their hosts' virtuosity.

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Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#166762

Mounted on a concrete matrix and framed. Some small nicks to tesserae, otherwise intact and excellent. Wonderful canine imagery remaining. Some stable hairline fissures to concrete matrix.