mosaic pavement
- Museum number
- 1806,1115.1
- Title
- Object: The Bank of England Mosaic
- Description
-
Mosaic pavement from a small square room. Its design comprises a small square frame of four-strand guilloche, outlined dark grey with red, yellow and white strands, surrounding a medallion bordered with a dark grey fillet enclosing an elaborate cruciform plant composed of four white stems, each outlined with dark grey and blue-grey (outermost) and sprouting small uniformly shaped barbs with blue-grey on their undersides; at their tops the stems divide to form roundels separating red-tipped calices. In the spandrels between the circle and the guilloche border are dark grey leafed calices with curved pedestals and pointed red flowers; the panel is surrounded by a band of white and a coarse plain red tessellated border.
- Production date
- 3rdC
- Dimensions
-
Length: 150 centimetres
-
Width: 150 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- This floor of a small square room was the first Romano-British mosaic acquired by the British Museum, in 1806, about a year after its discovery. It lay around 3.5 metres underground under the north-west corner of the Bank of England site in the City of London. It has been on permanent display in the Museum ever since the early nineteenth century. Displayed as a striking example of Roman decorative art, it has provided inspiration for later designers.
- Location
- On display (G49/wall)
- Acquisition date
- 1806
- Acquisition notes
- Acquired by The British Museum in 1806, about a year after its discovery. Found 3.5 metres underground under the south-west corner of the Bank of England site in the City of London.
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1806,1115.1