This is a detail of one of the many floor mosaics to be seen at
the fabulous early fourth-century AD Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza
Armerina in central Sicily. The villa was palatial in scale and dazzling in its
creature comforts and decorations, both on the walls and on the floors. Every
important room had figural mosaic floors, while lesser rooms had mosaics of
elaborate geometrical or floral motifs.
Throughout the villa, the imagery was light-hearted, with an
assortment of amusing motifs popular with patricians: hunting, public
entertainments and scenes of putti (naked cherubs, with or without
wings) shown in adult occupations.
Athletic contests could involve either men or women. This
example is famously the latter, not least because of the precocious appearance
of the bikini. Although there were serious Olympic Games for women, we may
presume a less lofty motivation for the appearance of this motif in the floor
mosaics of an elite villa; it was added later than the rest of the floors in
the villa, indicating a patron with specific requirements.
The Late Antique date is obvious in the figural style:
although idealised figures would have been appropriate for this athletic topic,
we see instead the stiff, stylised figures of the fourth century AD.
The whole mosaic occupies a space 5’7” long (180 cm).
© John Welford
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