Crete, Archaelogical Museum of Chania:Decorative, square from the triclinium of the House of Dionyso

Crete, Archaelogical Museum of Chania:

Decorative, square from the triclinium of the House of Dionysos.

In the large panel Dionysos is depicted on a panther followed by a satyr. In the border part, the artist’s signature is preserved indicating his provenance; Daphne, a suburb of Antioch, where there was a famous mosaic school at the time. The legend of Dionysos and Ariadne of Naxos is depicted in the best preserved smaller panel. The comic masks allude to the relationship of Dionysos with theatre. Found in the town of Chania (ancient Kydonia), near the Market Square in 1977.

Dated 3rd century A.D.

Detail from another one of the squares.