Mosaic From a Pavement: White Tendril, Black Background

Identification and Creation

Object Number: 1977.216.2509
Title: Mosaic From a Pavement: White Tendril, Black Background
Classification: Mosaics
Work Type: mosaic
Date: 1-400 CE
Period: Roman Imperial period
Culture: Roman
Persistent Link: https://hvrd.art/o/290178

Physical Descriptions

Medium: Stone tesserae
Dimensions: 5.9 x 4 x 2.9 cm (2 5/16 x 1 9/16 x 1 1/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History: Henry W. Haynes, bequest; to the Department of the Classics Harvard University, 1912, transfer; to the Fogg Art Museum, 1977.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Department of the Classics, Harvard University, Bequest of Henry W. Haynes, 1912
Accession Year: 1977
Object Number: 1977.216.2509
Division: Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact: am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions: The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.

Descriptions

Description: Mosaic fragment approximately 3 cm thick. The slab is comprised of mainly Roman mortar, with approximately .5 cm thick tesserae (cut stone tiles). On the flat, polished surface, the tesserae are .3 cm square. There is a black background with a white tendril curling upwards (opus vermiculatum). The beginning of another white tendril can be seen to the right side, but it is now broken off. It appears as if the white tendril was put in this area of the fragment first, because the tesserae of the black background curve around it. Above and below this area, there are straight black lines of the background (opus tesselatum), suggesting they were assembled even before the tendrils. The combination of opus vermiculatum and opus tesselatum is called opus classicum.
Commentary: LIVE LIKE A ROMAN: DAILY LIFE OBJECT COLLECTION

Mosaics were most often installed on the floors of Roman houses to decorate them and make the owners appear wealthy. Early mosaics used simple pebbles, usually in black and white, to create designs. They evolved to incorporate cut stone tiles, known as tesserae, which existed in a wide variety of colors. Simple geometric patterns gave way to elaborate scenes with mythological figures, animals, ships, and everyday life.

There are five main types of mosaic work, all with Latin names. The first is "opus regulatum," the most basic type in which the tesserae are laid down in a grid pattern, all aligning vertically and horizontally. The second type is "opus tessellatum." In this type, the tesserae are laid in vertical or horizontal rows, but not both. This is one of the most common types and is often used for the background of scenes. The next type, "opus vermiculatum," is also very common. It is named "vermiculatum" because the rows of tesserae resemble "worms." They curve around figures and details, making this one of the most difficult types of mosaic to execute. When vermiculatum is combined with tessellatum, usually with tessellatum work creating the background for a central image, the whole piece is called "opus classicum." The last main type of mosaic work is "opus sectile," where one large tessera (cut stone) forms the entire shape. For example, a large star may be cut out of stone and laid into a mosaic, with smaller tesserae forming the rows of background color.

[Jessica Pesce 8/12/10]

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

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