The Cleveland Museum of Art (spacer)
Special Exhibitions
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Antioch Exhibition
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Antioch: The Lost Ancient City
About the Exhibition
The Antioch Mosaics

Mosaic Workshops

Archaeologists and scholars believe that relatively large, well-organized mosaic workshops must have existed, but many details regarding the process of mosaic production remain to be clarified. These include the extent to which artisans traveled to fulfill commissions, and the circulation of pattern books. While tesserae were generally laid directly in place, there is evidence that central panels, known as emblemata, were sometimes assembled beforehand and brought to the site.

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Floor Mosaic of the Drinking Contest of Herakles and Dionysos
Antioch, Atrium House, early 2nd century AD
Marble, limestone, and glass tesserae, 189.2 x 111.8 cm
Worcester Art Museum 1933.36