Horizontal mosaic with early Christian motifs,... Lot 72

Horizontal mosaic with early Christian motifs, 5th-6th century AD. Coloured marble tesserae. Size: 277 x 79 x 5 cm. Scrolls of vine leaves and acanthus enclosing animal and fruit forms, called rinceaux, were often used in the borders of large mosaic compositions. The rinceaux in this markedly horizontal mosaic segment include birds, symbolising the soul, whales and pomegranates, in reference to the annual return of spring, immortality and resurrection.