Roman Eastern Mediterranean, ca. 5th c Mosaics

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Roman Mosaic of a Bull, Eastern Mediterranean, ca. 5th Century AD. A rectangular floor mosaic panel showing a bull in a lively flying gallop to the left. The forelegs stretch out ahead of the animal and the hind legs kick back behind it. The head is lifted and seen in profile, with a large almond-shaped eye, an open muzzle, pricked ears and lyre-shaped horns. The tail sweeps up over the back in a long S-curve and ends in a dark tuft. The body is outlined in a single row of black tesserae and filled with pinkish-red and ochre stones. Grey and black patches on the flank, shoulder and haunch suggest a dappled or piebald hide, and the underside and genitals are picked out in darker stones. The background is white limestone tesserae laid in loose rows that follow the outline of the animal. Stylized flower buds are scattered across it evenly. Each bud is a small red lozenge edged in black on a short dark stem, a filler motif typical of Late Antique pavements in the eastern provinces. Mounted in cement. Ex-Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. 1987 Antiquity Catalog, lot 57. L. 35" x H. 30" (88.9 cm x 76.2 cm)..

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