Byzantine Bird Mosaic

This floor mosaic (5th–6th cc.) shows a bird, likely a partridge, framed within an oval medallion and surrounded by small vegetal motifs. Tiny stone tesserae form the bird’s body, wings, and outstretched legs in simple, dark silhouettes against a pale ground. Such animal and plant motifs were common in church pavements, where repeating patterns created a unified decorative carpet around the liturgical space.