Decoration items

Displaying 1 - 4 of 4

Item number	Mosaic floor	Materials, palette	Density	Composition	Geometric patterns	Iconographical motives	Comments	Inscriptions
1	Mosaic floor	Black, white, dark red, pink, grey, blue, ochre and orange.	110 cm in 10 sq	The style of the nave mosaic is well executed and geometric in style. The nave was paved in a white scale pattern (J3) with a fleuron at the center of each scale made out of colorful cubes; four pink cubes arched by darker red cubes. The field is set in a white surround and has a border (63 cm wide): A black line of two cubes, a battlement pattern (A3) in dark red and white set on a black line followed by a guilloche with inset squares (B15) within black borders. The two strands of the guilloche are composed of: The first, black and greyish that turns into blue-white-black and the second is dark black that turns into red-pink-white-black. The spaces between are filled with triangles. Those near the border are dark red and those inside the guilloche are dark red and pink in color. The squares combined with the guilloche are black-white and light orange-ochre black in shade. The inside border has a crowstep pattern (A5) in dark red framed by black. Should be noted that the eastern side of the border is thicker and turns into 90 cm. Maybe because of the advanced steps of the altar area. The eastern angles contain two Greek crosses inset in the described design. The southern cross arms (54 cm) contains a guilloche (B2) in alternating colorful loops on each side. One is colored in black, dark red and pink and the other in black, ochre and white-black. Small "fleurons" decorate the edges of the arms. The northern cross a changing wreathing design in its arms (48-52 cm) composed of white-black-dark red-pink and white cubes. The corners of the northern cross too have Fleurons (F1).	Avi-Yonah A3, Avi-Yonah A5, Avi-Yonah B15, Avi-Yonah J3, Avi-Yonah F1, Avi-Yonah B2	cross
2	Mosaic floor	Black, red,	90-100 in 10 cmsq	A white surround of 31 cm with patches of cubes along the north wall alternating with plaster patches. The border is 43 cm wide and consists of a double frame in black, red and black-red cubes. The border itself consists of a triple guilloche (17 cm wide) The threes strands consist of 1. Black, white, red, pink 2. Black and light ochre. orange, white and black. 3. Black with greyish blue and white black. On the inner side of the guilloche, there is a dark red crowstep turned outside (B4). One black line borders the field which consists of squares measuring 20 cm and diamonds in the same color scheme as the border at the center of each square. At the axis of the aisle, there is a cross set in a circle (96 in diameter). Below the cross is a complex symbolic design at its center are three dark red "chevrons" one above the other. The top one almost touches the base of the cross. To the right and the left of the chevrons are figures that resemble fishes. Above those figures are pomegranates. each has a black stalk and leaf with a red outline and pink folioles sprouting from the border of the circle.		fish, pomegranate, cross, chevron, golgotha, four rivers of paradise, tree of life	The pomegranate is an ancient Greek and oriental symbol of fertility and immortality. It also holds symbolic connotations with Israel and is used in Jewish tombs, coins, and synagogue pavements. As such the meaning could have been transferred to the church. Although it is not common in church designs and appears in oriental countries. The fish figures below appear to be done in an ambiguous manner on purpose- due to the problematic use of Christian symbols during that period. The fish is an adopted Christian symbol as an acrostic of Jesus. Often the fish symbol was arranged as facing in two directions like the zodiac sign of Pisces. In our case, the fish both face the same direction as was more common to find in the full adoption of the symbol in Christianity. The use of the fish symbol has begun to dwindle by the 5th century. The chevrons between the fishes could be understood as a stylized version of the three hills Golgotha or the four rivers of paradise. Another possibility is that they represent the cross as a "tree of life".
3	Mosaic floor	Red, yellow, pink, black	102 in 10 cmsq.	A uniform design with a round ornament at its center. A white surround (37 cm) and a border consisting of three guilloches (B4) with degraded red and yellow strands. The border is completed by a crowstep turned upward (A5). The field consists of diagonals made up of fleurons (F2). At the intersections, we have alternate small squares with black borders and pink centers. The optical effect is dominated by dark red created by large segments of meanders. The areas between are filled with lozenges placed vertically between the meanders and horizontally between the NS spaces. Here the color scheme repeats as in the north aisle in a pattern of degraded red and yellow and a white center in which a black cube was fitted as a hub. Instead of the cross in the northern aisle, we have in the same position a square (102 x 98 cm) with an inset circle (90 cm). The corners of the square are filled with a diagonal row of cubes (white, black, light orange, pink and dark red). The south-west corner is filled with a cheque pattern in dark-red-white and the north-east corner is filled with a wave pattern in pink and dark red. This wave pattern serves as an inverted background to a pelta ornament. Within the circle, there is a crowstep pointing inwards (A5), a "wreath" and next a crowstep pointing outwards (A6). Within the innermost circle, there is a four-petaled rosette with a white center and dark-red and black leaves and degraded triangles inside.	Avi-Yonah A6, Avi-Yonah A5, Avi-Yonah B4, Avi-Yonah F2	rossete	Signs of burning are evident in the south aisle mosaic.
4	Mosaic floor	Black, white		The outer narthex is paved plainly in white surround (55 cm wide) and a black border (15 cm wide) encloses a white field decorated with black diagonal lines that form squares (67 cm). Each square holds a stepped square of black, brick -red and white cubes. In the presumed center of the exonarthex is a circle (120 m in diameter). Inside the circle, there is a fragmentary inscription in 9 lines in a rounded script: "in the time of our most holy bishop Photinus...And the most pious Cosmas..the visitor...was completed the labor of this mosaic in the ninth indiction in the year 611." The mosaic should be dated to 486 A.D.				Inscriptions