ARCE

Close-ups of stag-hunt mosaic after conservation

Description:
Close-ups of stag-hunt mosaic after conservation
Physical Description:
58 photographs
Author:
ARCE Project Staff
Date Created:
July 16, 2003
Collection:
Greco-Roman Museum Mosaic Conservation
Series:
Post-conservation
Location:
Alexandria, Egypt and Al Iskandarīyah
Time Period:
Hellenistic Period and Ptolemaic Period
Topic:
Love, Animals in art, Wildlife-related recreation, Greek mythology, Greek gods, Art, Greco-Roman, Museums, and Borders, Ornamental (Decorative arts)
Cultural Object:
Stonework, Mosaics, Portraits, Tesserae, Stonework, Mosaics, Portraits, Tesserae, Stonework, Mosaics, Portraits, Tesserae, Stonework, Mosaics, Portraits, and Tesserae
Fieldwork activities:
infills (filled lacunae areas), infills (filled lacunae areas), infills (filled lacunae areas), and infills (filled lacunae areas)
Genre:
color photographs
Creative Commons License:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Rights Statement:
Users must agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the CC BY NC SA license before using ARCE materials and must provide the following credit line: "Reproduction courtesy of the American Research Center in Egypt, Inc. (ARCE). This project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)."
Project History:
Within the walls of the Greco-Roman Museum, Alexandria, Egypt are three intricate mosaics of very fine quality between the second and third century, BCE. Under the auspices of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), Father Michele Piccirillo of the Studium Biblicum Franciscum directed the conservation of the mosaics. Notably, it resulted in the public viewing of the stag hunt mosaic for the first time since its discovery. Conservation work was made possible with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (formerly the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities).
Funding Agency:
Greco-Roman Museum Mosaic Conservation project was made possible with funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Grant No. 263-G-00-93-00089-00 and administered by the Egyptian Antiquities Project (EAP) of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE).
Abstract:
A panther-griffin standing on all four legs with long upturned gray-blue horns and a long S-shaped tail curling under, terminating_in a tuft of hair indicated with irregular dark-yellowish pebbles. The nose, the open mouth, and inner parts of the ears are indicated with red and pink tesserae; the mouth itself is of a dark-brownish shade. Some shading of the inner parts of the legs is indicated with light pink tesserae. The eye is made of a round black pebble and surrounded with a lead strip. Lead was also used to mark the contours and details of the muscles, hair and beard. Claws and teeth were made of pieces of stone specially cut to fit the required shape. Next to it, a lion is standing firmly on all fours, facing right. The head is turned toward the viewer. The nose and mouth are pink red, the eyebrows black. Yellow pebbles and wide strips of lead were used for the mane and tip of the tail. Some red-pink stones and terracotta tesserae cut to size enhanced the shaded modeling of the legs and belly., A lion, moving to the right. Its body is creamy-white, the shading of the inner parts of the legs made of light-pink tesserae. Yellow pebbles and wide strips of lead were used for the mane and tip of the tail. The nose and mouth were enhanced with pink-red tesserae. Teeth and claws were made of specially cut white stones. The eyes are of black pebbles surrounded with lead and enlivened with red and white highlights. Running towards the lion is a wild boar. Its body is made of creamy-white irregular tesserae, the haircoat of yellow and light-brown pebbles and lead strips. Red tesserae mark the tongue, while the open snout is pink inside. Fangs and teeth are of specially cut stones, the eye is inlaid with a black pebble inside a white frame of cubes and lead strips., On the right side of the picture, there is the third Eros. Only his legs and right hand have been preserved. He approaches the animal on tiptoe, holding a yellow spear with a bluish blade. His wrist and ankles are embellished with bracelets of gold indicated with yellow tesserae and framed with lead strips., The leopard is shown standing on all four legs. It has a long S-shaped tail terminating in a tuft of hair, rendered with yellow and brown pebbles. Its body is made of creamy white and almost black tesserae. The nose and the shading of the inner parts of the legs were indicated with light-pink cubes. The eye is composed of a black pebble with white and red highlights. A small tree, freely composed of creamy-white tesserae with some shading at the edges of the branches, was depicted between the gazelle and a leopard facing it. Lead was used to mark the contours., The largest border carries depictions of animals, real and mythological, four on each of the long sides and three on each of the short sides of the mosaic. The background is made of haphazardly assembled dark-gray and black tesserae. The ground is indicated with creamy-white and yellowish-white tesserae., A bull with raised left front leg. The body is made of creamy-white tesserae, the horns and hooves of bluish cubes. Hair on the forehead and on the end of the tail is indicated with yellow pebbles. Shadows on the inner parts of the legs and on the belly are in pink and light red. The eyes are of black pebbles surrounded with pink and black irregular stones and with a double strip of lead (Final Remarks Report)., A hyena is running to the right with an open mouth and a red tongue indicated with pieces of terracotta. Its body is made of creamy-white tesserae and oblong dark-gray laminae used to indicate the dark stripes on the skin. The long and bushy tail is made of yellow and brown pebbles and lead strips. The haircoat on the back is shown by means of creamy-white pebbles and wide lead strips. Some shading of the inner parts of the legs is indicated with light pink tesserae. The teeth and eyeballs are made of specially cut white stones. The iris rendered by a black pebble is surrounded with a lead strip. Highlights are in white and red. Next to it, a leopard is shown standing on all four legs. It has a long S-shaped tail terminating in a tuft of hair, rendered with yellow and brown pebbles. Its body is made of creamy white and almost black tesserae. The nose and the shading of the inner parts of the legs were indicated with light-pink cubes. The eye is composed of a black pebble with white and red highlights., A band of dark-gray ivy with dark-yellow berries and heart-shaped leaves partially frames the griffin standing on four legs, facing right, its spread wings pointing back. Its head is that of an eagle with a red crest, and a red tongue showing from the white-pink beak. Its body is made of creamy-white tesserae; shading of the inner parts of the legs is indicated with light-red tesserae. The ends of the feathers are marked with tesserae that are not yellow, as thought previously, but grayish-white. Lead is used for contours and inner details. A stump of a tree divides the griffin from a stag. The animal, running to the right, has fallen to its knees just in front of a leopard., A stump of a tree divides the griffin from a stag. The animal, running to the right, has fallen to its knees just in front of a leopard. The stag has a yellowish-white body with dark gray or black dots made of freely placed tesserae, except for the outer edges. Shading of the inner parts of the legs is made with pink tesserae; the belly and neck are underlined with one row of white tesserae. The head is all white and so are the horns; the ear is shaded with pink and brown. The eye is made of a white stone cut to the required shape and of a black pebble with red highlight. The mouth is pink and the nostrils marked with black cubes. Lead strips were used for the contours and inner details., To the left of the first Eros, a stag has fallen to its knees. The animal is struggling to get up, leaning on its right front leg, and stretching its head upwards. The one visible eye glances in desperation at the hunters. The body of the stag is of pale yellow tesserae with black and dark-gray dots. Its mouth is indicated with pink tesserae, the ear is pink and yellow, and the horns are white, as is the front of the chest and the part of the head around the mouth. The eye is made of a specially-cut white stone and a few tesserae and wide lead strips. Lead is also used to mark the contours and body details., Multiple layers of ornamental borders framed the larger border with depicted mythological and real animals. (1) The outermost border is a wide border of creamy-white tesserae set in a haphazard and irregular way. The blurred effect is enhanced by the apparently intentional mottled coloring of the cubes, now distinctly visible thanks to the cleaning of the mosaic and the bedding mortar; the cubes reveal different shades of white through cream instead of being uniformly white. (2) Lining it is a narrow checkerboard band of obliquely set yellow and creamy-white, dark gray and red tesserae. (3) The checkerboard band is followed by a double guilloche of yellowish-brown and creamy-white tesserae. It has yellow or red calyx-shaped fields in the middle and red and dark-gray circular buttons in between the plaits, made either of four triangular stone or of specially cut round stones or terracotta. The yellow cubes turned out to be more varied in tone than previously thought, revealing an apparently intentional mottled effect. (4) The last border outlining the larger “animal border” is mottled red and orange-red tesserae set irregularly in 4-5 rows (5 cm wide), The panther-griffin is depicted with one front leg uplifted. It is of the same type and execution as the other one. Only the horns are white and longer. Pink and creamy-yellow stones were used for the shading of the legs and belly. Next to it, a hyena is running to the right with an open mouth and a red tongue indicated with pieces of terracotta. Its body is made of creamy-white tesserae and oblong dark-gray laminae used to indicate the dark stripes on the skin. The long and bushy tail is made of yellow and brown pebbles and lead strips. The haircoat on the back is shown by means of creamy-white pebbles and wide lead strips. Some shading of the inner parts of the legs is indicated with light pink tesserae. The teeth and eyeballs are made of specially cut white stones. The iris rendered by a black pebble is surrounded with a lead strip. Highlights are in white and red., A griffin with an eagle's head and spread wings. Its body is made of creamy-white tesserae with pink stones used for the shading and the beard. The crest and the tongue were marked with red terracotta cubes, the lower lip of yellowish stones. A black pebble for the eye has a red stone as highlight. Lead strips were used for the contours and details of feathers, beak and muscles. The claws were of white specially-cut pieces, in similarity to the other animal representations. , A wild boar runs to the right. Its body is of creamy white tesserae, the bristles on its back of varied creamy-yellow and brown pebbles set off with wide lead strips. The inside of its open snout is indicated with red tesserae, while the fangs were made of specially cut pieces of white stone. Shading is indicated with pink tesserae. Hooves are of yellow tesserae. Lead strips are used to indicate contours and muscles and other details such as eyes, hair etc. Next to it, is a griffin with an eagle's head and spread wings. Its body is made of creamy-white tesserae with pink stones used for the shading and the beard. The crest and the tongue were marked with red terracotta cubes, the lower lip of yellowish stones. A black pebble for the eye has a red stone as highlight. Lead strips were used for the contours and details of feathers, beak and muscles. The claws were of white specially-cut pieces, in similarity to the other animal representations., The stag has a yellowish-white body with dark gray or black dots made of freely placed tesserae, except for the outer edges. Shading of the inner parts of the legs is made with pink tesserae; the belly and neck are underlined with one row of white tesserae. The head is all white and so are the horns; the ear is shaded with pink and brown. The eye is made of a white stone cut to the required shape and of a black pebble with red highlight. The mouth is pink and the nostrils marked with black cubes. Lead strips were used for the contours and inner details. Facing him, the leopard stands on three legs, lifting the right front leg. Its mouth is open. Pink tesserae were used to depict the nose and the inner part of the ear. The body is creamy-white with black and gray (after cleaning, the bluish tone seen previously turned out not to be so) dots. Pebbles were used for the hair at the end of the tail. Shading of the inner parts of the legs is in pink. The eye is of a black pebble with white and red highlights., and A lion is standing firmly on all fours, facing right. The head is turned toward the viewer. The nose and mouth are pink-red, and the eyebrows black. Yellow pebbles and wide strips of lead were used for the mane and tip of the tail. Some red-pink stones and terracotta tesserae cut to size enhanced the shaded modeling of the legs and belly. Next to it, a bull with raised left front leg. The body is made of creamy-white tesserae, the horns and hooves of bluish cubes. Hair on the forehead and on the end of the tail is indicated with yellow pebbles. Shadows on the inner parts of the legs and on the belly are in pink and light red. The eyes are of black pebbles surrounded with pink and black irregular stones and with a double strip of lead.