Mosaic Fragment with Grazing Camel

Description

This image of a grazing camel probably came from a larger composition with other animals that decorated the floor of a semipublic space within a private home, such as a reception or dining room. This animal is represented against a white ground decorated with florets. A bell hangs from the camel’s neck as it reaches toward an object, perhaps a vessel filled with water, at the lower right. The knobby contours of the camel’s body are accentuated by areas of shading in subtly modulated colors, including black, brown, brick red, and olive green.

Provenance

Asfar Bros., Beirut, Lebanon, by 1968; sold to Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Mayer, Winnetka, IL, 1968 [according to correspondence in curatorial file]; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, December 29, 1970.

Mosaic Fragment with Grazing Camel

Byzantine

5th century

Accession Number

35355

Medium

Stone in mortar

Dimensions

143 × 166.5 × 6.5 cm (56 1/4 × 61 1/2 × 2 1/2 in.)

Classification

architectural fragment

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Mayer