A Roman mosaic panel of 'Winter' - Eastern Mediterranean, circa 2nd-3rd Century A.D.

The square panel decorated in polychrome tesserae on a ground of cream tesserae, depicting a bust representing 'Winter', the winged figure looking up to the right, wearing a loosely draped himation in pale yellow, crimson, ochre and cream pulled up over the back of the head, wearing a foliate wreath composed of blue, green and turquoise glass tesserae, the long hair falling in loose curls of black and grey either side of the face, the face composed of shades of pink and cream with green eyes, the wings detailed in shades of purple, plum, ochre, pale yellow, grey and cream, set within a border filled with an undualting line and linear shading on either side, 52 x 53in (132 x 135cm) including the frame, some restoration, mounted - Estimate: £17,000 - 20,000

Provenance: Property of a private French collector, acquired in 1982.

Literature: Most probably originating in the Lebanon or Syria this mosaic panel would most likely have been from the dining room of a private villa rather than a public building and would have been accompanied by the other three seasons. 'Winter' is often depicted with an olive branch and no wings, however parallels with wings are known from Antioch, Spain and Libya. For an example of 'Spring' cf. Exhibition catalogue, La Mosaïque Gréco-Romaine II, (Vienna 1971), pl.LXII, no.1

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