To the layperson, the entry to the Greek and Roman Art Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art may have a ghostly feel, inhabited by white marble statues, white or off-white busts, urns, bas reliefs. Even though a few pieces are vividly painted and still others may have lost their original pigment, the initial overall effect is of a stark white.

So that when you pass through these white marble halls and come to the brightly colored Roman mosaic floor from Lod, Israel, the effect is all the more startling. Situated under an elevated ceiling that allows natural light, the floor—a stone “carpet”—is a brilliant, lively, marvelous mosaic depicting animals, fishes, and birds surrounded by a sort of double braid and by end pieces with marine themes.

The whole piece is compelling. The images of animals are so vivid—fish tails flirting, lions roaring—that they appear almost life-like. You see a majestic lion and a tiger perched on rocks, large fish surrounded by slightly smaller playful dolphins, a lion and a lioness, two tigers sitting on a drinking cup. A number of the images are of consumption—a lion attacking and eating a horse, a tiger eating an ox, a very large fish eating much smaller fish. And there is one remarkable image of a large fish swallowing a snake that is entwined about its body—or is it the snake that is poisoning and strangling the fish?

The curators suggest that these animals may be creatures well known to the Romans since they would have appeared at gladiatorial games staged by the owner.

The Lod mosaic floor dates from A. D. 300 and is said to have decorated the home of a wealthy Roman in the city of Lydda (modern Lod). The mosaic pavement was found in 1996 when workmen were widening the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road in Lod. The mosaic is laid out as a central panel with a central medallion, and two rectangular end panels. As the press release states: “Because the mosaic’s imagery has no overt religious content, it cannot be determined whether the owner was a pagan, a Jew or a Christian.” The mosaic, on exhibit briefly in Israel in 2009, is now exhibited to the general public for the first time. It is on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Center.

A video produced by the Metropolitan Museum documents the discovery of the mosaic, the dramatic lifting of the mosaic from the site before conservation, and reveals “such discoveries as the footprints left by the makers of the mosaic some 1700 years ago.”

The Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel

Related Events
Sunday at the Met: October 3
Hear the first-hand story of the spectacular discovery and the meticulous work undertaken to excavate and conserve the impressive Roman mosaic floor that has now been brought to the Museum for a special exhibition. Speakers include Jacques Neguer, conservator, and Miriam Avissar, archaeologist, both of the Israel Antiquities Authority. See the calendar for more information.

Several events are scheduled in conjunction with this exhibition, including gallery talks, lectures, and family programs. Search the calendar for all related events.

Lod Mosaic website