Mosaic
Mosaic in the centre of the triclinium (1987)
The triclinium floor is composed of a rectangular surface (10 x 9.2 m) arranged in the form of five panels in a T shape, seen from the entrance, the T's upright shaft is formed by two square overlapping panels, surrounded by two narrower, longitudinal rectangular panels, and the cross-piece is composed of a single wide panel which goes all the way across the room.
The whole composition is surrounded by a highly decorated band. The second panel at the base of the T, in the centre of the mosaic, is the only one with figurative motifs, while the rest display an overlapping of geometric patterns. The figurative panel in the middle consists of a central square surrounded by a wide border of about twelve coils of vegetal branches in the form of spirals (four: one in each corner, and two in the middle of each side). In the centre is a flower in the shape of a sunflower or a bluish yellow chrysanthemum. Enclosed chalices can been seen in the coils, one yellow and the other half pink, half red, seen in profile and extending from the acanthus leaves, all on a black background.
Over the border to the right of the seated figure in the centre, in the middle of the vegetal coils, female busts are placed in each corner, representing the Seasons. The two Seasons of the Year on the left side were lost in ancient times.
The main subject embedded in the panel in the middle of the room, is part of a seated female figure wearing a blue tunic. In the centre, tying the tunic is a yellow cord, which falls to the ground. She is sitting on a yellow chair, with feet exposed resting on a green and beige parallelepiped footstool. On her right arm, resting on the arm of the chair, there is a yellow sheaf of corn secured by her hand. The background of this centre subject is white, with monochrome scales.
The mosaic floor in the triclinium is in situ and in its original substrate.
The materials used were local limestone and glass.
(PESSOA, 2005, p. 15)
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