Aug 9, 2010

Mosaic of Tigress and Cubs

Mosaic of Tigress and Cubs

AD 300s

Tesserae

Overall: 142.9 x 135.4 cm (56 1/4 x 53 5/16 in.)

John L. Severance Fund 1987.65

Location

Did you know?

This mosaic includes over ten thousand tesserae, or small cut-stone tiles.

Description

Despite its rectangular shape and creation from mostly square tesserae, this mosaic incorporates many curves in its composition, particularly for the tails of the tigers. With one cub on her back and two before her, the mother tiger reaches out with one paw and an open mouth, whether to scold or to play. Unlike lions, leopards, and bears, tigers appear relatively rarely in Roman art, with the tigress seen more frequently than her male counterpart.

See also
Collection: 
GR - Roman
Department: 
Greek and Roman Art
Type of artwork: 
Mosaic
Medium: 
Tesserae

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email [email protected].

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.