Hellenistic Mosaic

The news of the discovery of the mosaic

During the construction of the gymnasium of the secondary school for getting started, located in the former convent of San Francesco di Paola, in November 1934, a fragment of a Roman mosaic floor was found.
The bottom of the floor consists of a sectile opus made of pesto and white marble tiles, arranged in regular rows at equal distances. The remaining floor fragment is about m. 4.84×2.90. Almost in the middle of it is a white background rectangle framed by bands of red, white and black dowels with a slender figurine in the middle. In front of this emblem is another white square (0.77 on the side), delimited by red, white and black tiles.
The central figurine that runs on the toes to the left, turning its head to the spectator, is crowned with laurels, naked and carries an oval mirror. A row of black, lattice-like blocks forms the base of this pretty figurine with a fleshy chest (the nipples are made with a red tile) and a slight chiaroscuro: it is a quite neat opus vermiculatum.
It would be premature, after such a sporadic finding – especially since careful research carried out in the immediate vicinity has not given any concrete result – to try to conclude something precise about the ancient environment that the pickax of the workers revealed. But from the nature of the figurine, which bears an object intended for personal care, one should think that it is in a bathroom of some Roman villa. The small square carpet preceding the central emblem would also suggest an entrance to such a building.
From certain characteristics of the figurine’s vermiculatum, it seems to be a work from the age of the Antonini. But too little is offered, so far, to our judgment, to conclude seriously.
It is not without interest that in Milazzo […] appears today this very modest document musivo, which is one of the few, if not unique, real data that prove the truth of the statements of ancient historians on Mylae.
The Superintendent of Antiquities did not fail to cover the mosaic with wood and recommend that it be girded so that it was well preserved. The appearance, finally, of an ancient remnant in the vicinity of the Acropolis of Mylae, where stands the castle that undoubtedly perpetuates the ancient tradition of habitation, is to be kept in mind.

Paolo Enrico Arias
Atti dell’Accademia dei Lincei, 1936

Dela von Boeselager
A mosaic figure in Milazzo

In 1934, in the basement of the old convent of San Francesco da Paola (later School of Art) a mosaic floor with a representation of a figure was discovered, which was reported two years later by P. E. Arias.
Then he left a strip of floor in view (Mt. 4,84×2,90). As a result of the existing superstructure, it was not possible to determine the total size of the floor, the dimensions of the room and the context of the construction. In a survey in 1978, it was found that the floor, since forgotten, is still accessible today under a modern cover. However, scientific research is constrained by the limited surface of the mosaic floor.
The publication of Arias with drawings and description make it clear that the floor, not currently visible, is made of crushed clay with a setting of terraced tiles. This technique with the current terminology is called opus signinum and not as opus sectile. In the center, in a white rectangle bordered by bands of red and black, shines an isolated figure of 53 cm. height. Before this subject, there is a large white mosaic square of 0.77 sq. m, also delimited by bands. It probably served as an entrance mosaic, in order to attract the eyes of those who crossed the threshold.
The naked figure in the center of the floor moves to the left, while turning his head he looks back. In the right hand, stretched out, he holds an oval object, painted green, yellow, white and black on top. The figure is surrounded by black, while the naked body is represented with tiles of gray – brown color; only the nipples of the breasts and lips are painted red. [… ]
From the analysis of the mosaic, we notice a lead border of the figure, an important detail, which Arias did not mention. The lead strips run along the outer line and mark important inner parts of the body, such as the inguinal hem and the left arm, which cuts through the upper part of the body. It is surprising the setting of a lead rod to define the features of the face instead of the contour of the head. [… ]
The mosaic was intended as an entrance carpet on the floor, variable as technique and decoration. Ithe cool white color of the mosaic was to increase the effect of red of the pesto. The structure of the floor, with a central rectangle, a wide marginal band and a mosaic threshold, finds numerous correspondents in the Hellenistic mosaics. We can recall other examples from Sicily, such as those of Morgantina and Tindari. In the choice of technique finds exact comparison with the meandering mosaic of Taormina. [… ]
The plan of the premises in Milazzo has not yet been drawn up, so it is not possible to make a definite statement on the intended use of the premises. It can be assumed that the room with the signinum located on the edge was used as a dining room.
The Arias interpreted the subject of the drawing as a female figure with mirror. He argued that the sexual affiliation was clearly recognizable by the characteristics of the model represented. However, it is not certain that the nipples are female. Another interpretation is also questionable: that the object held with both hands is a mirror. [… ]
The presence of multiple colors is an element to exclude that it is a vase. To identify the original meaning of the object, it is possible to imagine a bird with colorful feathers, which rests on the left hand and is held with both hands: the upper detail of the object, which in the publication is represented in the right hand of the figure, can be identified with a bird’s head. This animal has a beige, yellow and dark green plumage with a black head that shows in profile with an eye and a short beak. [… ]
Non sembra sostenibile la convinzione che il petto abbia caratterizzazione femminile, così da vedere nella figura nuda un ermafrodita. […] This way of shaping the chest could indicate effeminate figures. In the mosaic of Milazzo there are missing elements for a specific mythological meaning. It could be the young Eros. [… ]
An important reference for the inclusion in the history of Sicilian mosaics is the novelty found in the use of lead strips. [… ] The floor of Milazzo, together with the two rose mosaics of Tindari, the opus vermiculatum of Solunto, are the four Sicilian examples of mosaics figured to weave with the use of lead strips. [… ]
As for the stylistic characteristics of the mosaics, they consist in the simple polished frame and the colorful bands to which perspective motifs are lacking. As for the style, the design is characterized by the polychrome figure reflected on a neutral white background, even if the figure lacks an additional contour band. This is why the mosaic of Milazzo stands out from the grey – dark Hellenistic figured mosaics, while others in Morgantina and Cefalù imitate painting.
The figure isolated on white background is essential to enhance the line of the figure itself, reinforced in some points with small black lines. The same style is found in the Hellenistic mosaic by Salemi, but while there the form is totally black on a white background, at Milazzo the body of the figure is modelled with different tones of colour and has been given a line of support, although reduced to a short ornamental line. [… ]
The dating given by Arias, who attributes the Sicilian mosaic to the period of the Antonini, is – according to technique, composition and style – to be abandoned. The floor is a Hellenistic work, approximately dating from the 2nd century B.C. The floor is a Greek stone.

Testo tratto da “Antike Mosaiken in Sizilien”, 1983

Address

Hellenistic Mosaic
Salita S. Francesco, Milazzo (ME)