The Installation of Predators and Prey
A Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel
February 10, 2016 – May 15, 2016
In 1996, workmen widening the Jerusalem – Tel Aviv road in Lod (formerly Lydda), Israel, made a startling discovery: signs of a Roman mosaic pavement were found about three feet below the modern ground surface. A rescue excavation was conducted immediately by the Israel Antiquities Authority, revealing a mosaic floor that measures approximately 50 feet long by 27 feet wide. This large and extraordinarily detailed mosaic floor has only recently been carefully removed from its site and conserved. Dating to approximately the 3rd century CE, the opulent mosaic graced the floor in a reception hall of a private home. The panels portray exotic beasts as well as an abundant and rich marine scene.
Previously exhibited at the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Field Museum, Chicago; Musée du Louvre, Paris; and, most recently and Cini Foundation in Venice. It will return to Israel, where it will become the focus of the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Center.
The Lod Mosaic is courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Center. This exhibition has been made possible by the generosity of Patricia & Phillip Frost.