Mosaic with Elephant and Exotic Animals
2022 © Maxim Tabachnik
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Mosaic with Elephant and Exotic Animals

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This floor mosaic (3rd c.) from a statio (a commercial office) in the Piazzale delle Corporazioni, features an elephant, a leaping gazelle or deer, and a hunting dog. Such imagery evoked the exoticism of Rome’s trade networks and the spectacle of imported animals used in games. It symbolized both commercial power and imperial reach across continents.