Tag Archives: mosaic

Bellerophon in Ravenna: Reflections on the Iconography of the Hero in Late Antique Mosaics

Author: I. Baldini

Download article as .pdf: Bellerophon in Ravenna: Reflections on the Iconography of the Hero in Late Antique Mosaics

The article examines the theme of Bellerophon slaying the Chimaera, taking inspiration from the mosaic in the imperial palace of Ravenna. This subject is depicted in the triclinium, along with an inscription encouraging the enjoyment of the fruits of the Seasons, represented as busts of personifications within the same setting. This example can be linked to a long iconographic tradition which, in Late Antiquity, may take on – and sometimes combine – different meanings within a shared expressive system attributable to the aristocratic class.

Il mosaico cosiddetto di Anubi: un catalogo di animali esotici

download article as .pdf: Il mosaico cosiddetto di Anubi: un catalogo di animali esotici

The paper focuses on the interpretation of the so-called “Anubis’ Mosaic”. It has been discovered in Rimini during 1948, and it is just in part preserved. Many scholars tried to explain the meaning of the depiction, but the presence of a dog illustrated like a shepherd created some difficulties about the comprehension. That figure is not alone: there are others exotics and originals animals. In conclusion it’s possible that the mosaic represents a catalog of uncommon animals, like some ancients authors seem to suggest.