The Mosaic Fragment with Man Leading a Giraffe is a mosaic from the 5th century CE, now held in the Art Institute of Chicago. The piece is Byzantine and originated in northern Syria or Lebanon. Mosaics of this type were commonly used to decorate wealthy family villas.
| Mosaic Fragment with Man Leading a Giraffe, Byzantine, northern Syria or Lebanon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Year | 5th century A.D. |
| Dimensions | 170.8 x 167 x 6.35 cm (67 1/4 x 65 3/4 x 2 1/2 in.) |
| Location | Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago |
| Accession | 1993.345 |
Background edit
The fragment originated in either Syria or Lebanon. It was part of a much larger composition which covered the floor of a wealthy family villa. A related object from the same donor and region also specifies that the room within which the floor was located was likely semipublic, such as a reception or dining room.[1] The text suggests that this image was once among several other examples of exotic animals, which giraffes were considered to be at that time since they were non-native to the Mediterranean region and were often only seen while being paraded around at public events.[1] Giraffes were collected by Romans beginning with the first one being brought to Rome by Julius Caesar in 46 CE.[2] Since the region in which this object originated had experienced Roman control prior to the making of the piece, this is a likely influence and possible reason for this particular image's creation.
Provenance edit
The fragment is located in Gallery 153, the Ancient and Byzantine Gallery, at the Institute.[3] It is still in some ways used in its original intended way, aesthetic representation, but it has lost its function as a structural element. The piece is near the back corner of its gallery with like objects. Gallery 153 is arranged chronologically and so this work “belongs” in this location according to its place in time, and has an interactive iPad beside its display case to entice visitors to stop.
The work was a gift in 1993 from a Mrs. Robert B. Mayer.[1] In 1989, just a few years before the accession of this particular piece, the donations of the Mayer family were discussed in an article in the Los Angeles Times. Robert B. Mayer was a founding member of the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and a member of the purchasing committee for the Art Institute.[4] He and his wife Beatrice “Buddy” Mayer travelled the world, collecting art. Mrs. Mayer worked with children in Israel, and this particular mosaic fragment may have come into the Mayers’ possession because they had fallen in love with mosaics from the Middle Eastern region.[5] Mr. Mayer died in 1974 and his collection of about 2,000 items was left to his wife . She established a program which actively loaned items from her private collection to colleges and museums, and she later sold several of the contemporary art pieces for millions of dollars.[4]
Destruction edit
Due to the fact that many of these works survive into the present, they are available for the modern collector. While it is uncertain how this particular work was acquired and first sold, the fact that it is no longer attached to the structure it once belonged to means it was at some point removed. The removal of mosaics and other related art forms such as frescoes is extremely destructive. Because the works are permanently affixed to the structural elements they belong to, they must be cut away from their surfaces and broken into various pieces and would require extensive restoration.[6] These fragments then enter the art market permanently removed from their original context, often anonymously through art dealers.[7]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c Museum label, Mosaic Fragment with Man Leading a Giraffe, Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago.
- ^ Pliny, Natural History, VIII.69
- ^ The Art Institute of Chicago Annual Report 1993-4.
- ^ a b Muchnic, Suzanne. “Two Major Chicago Art Collections on Christie’s Fall Sales Schedule.” Los Angeles Times, Sept 7, 1989.
- ^ Snyder, Barbara. "A Private Audience with the Masters: Two Dickinsonians take care of Chicago’s art treasures." Dickinson Magazine, Winter 2003.
- ^ Mark Rose, “From Cyprus to Munich.” Archaeology (April 20, 1998). http://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/cyprus/.
- ^ MacKenzie, Simon and Tess Davis. "Temple Looting in Cambodia: Anatomy of a Statue Trafficking Network," British Journal of Criminology (2014): 723.
Further reading edit
- Bowman, B. A. "Transnational Crimes Against Culture: Looting at Archaeological Sites and the ‘Grey’ Market in Antiquities," Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 24 (2008): 225–42.
- Kennedy, Andy. "Dallas Museum Volunteers to Return Mosaic to Turkey," The New York Times (December 3, 2012).
- Nelson, Robert S. "Living on the Byzantine Borders of Western Art," Gesta 35/1 (1996): 3-11.
- Vogel, Susan. "Always True to the Object, in Our Fashion," Poetics and Politics of Museum Display (Smithsonian, 1991): 191-204.