ARCE

Early Roman villa alpha, Mosaic A5, details of bird panels

Description:
Early Roman villa alpha, Mosaic A5, details of bird panels
Photographer:
Image capture by Edwin Brock
Date Created:
June 9, 1998
Collection:
Villa of the Birds Mosaic Conservation
Series:
Existing conditions before conservation
Subseries:
Early Roman Villa
Location:
Alexandria, Egypt and Al Iskandarīyah
Time Period:
Early Roman Empire
Topic:
Art, Greco-Roman, Animals in art, Floral motifs, Borders, Ornamental (Decorative arts), and Domestic architecture
Genre:
black-and-white photographs
Conservation Note:
The state of the mosaics varied greatly. Initially, they seemed to be in good condition, although some fragments had loosened, and there was damage on the edges of all four mosaics where the stone walls had been dismantled. Some tesserae exhibited black marks and breaking due to a fire. There were mechanical damages due to the crumbling walls. The surface shows two kinds of repairs in the past; ancient and modern (1970s). For more details on the conditions of the mosaic upon excavation, refer to the Final Report or Progress Report 5.
Creative Commons License:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Local ID:
arce_ca_vob_images_0157.tif
Project History:
At the heart of modern Alexandria in Kom el-Dikka lies an exceptional demonstration of Domestic architecture during the Roman Imperial period. The Early Roman villa named “Villa of the Birds” houses exceptionally well preserved mosaic floors, made of tesserae. True to its name, it contains Mosaic a-5 which depicts different bird species within seven different panels. Under the auspices of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), Dr. Wojciech Kolataj and his team conserved the mosaic floors, constructed a shelter, and landscaped the surrounding area. Some related supplemental work was carried out by the Polish-Egyptian Preservation Mission, and sponsored jointly by the Supreme Council of Antiquities (currently the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) and the Polish Center of Archaeology. 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:
Villa of the Birds 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 (formerly 263-0000-G-00-3089-00) and administered by the Egyptian Antiquities Project (EAP) of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE).