No self respecting Romano-Britain wealthy person would be without a mosaic in their home. There was a great trade for the artisan mosaicist and their visions. They would work in their studios meticulously applying the same pieces of stone and Marble Tiles to a hessian sacking covered with a cement. We have discovered quite a bit about the lives and workings of the mosaicist and how they provided the flooring for the many villas and townhouses that sprung up during the Roman Empire’s occupation from the 2nd to the 5th Century.
We are lucky to have quite a few examples, which shows the level of craftsmanship involved. Most of them have been levered up and taken to museums but some are still “in situ” like those at Chedworth, Littlecote and Bignor. The rich Romano-Britain needed something to lay on top of their hypocaust. This was a heating system that warmed the floor of the mosaic.
Originally it was thought that the mosaicist would come out to the villa and painstakingly place each piece as per the buyers demands. However, it now seems that they would produce mosaics prior to this and sell designs. The mosaic was then carted out to where it was to be installed in slabs and stuck together with cement.
The dining room mosaic at Chedworth
Chedworth Roman villa near Cirencester holds one of the best examples of the dining room mosaic, the showpiece floor of a wealthy Romano-British home. Owners could visit a mosaicist in a nearby town such as Corinium, today’s Cirencester, to look through designs, or commission something bespoke, which seems to be what happened at Chedworth.
The dining room floor is arranged as an octagon around a central image, now lost to damage, which some believe showed Bacchus, god of wine and feasting. Each section holds nymphs enjoying themselves, and the four corners show the seasons. Because the Romans had no winter spirit of their own, the local craftsmen appear to have created one: a hooded figure dancing with a bare branch. This fits the Roman habit of blending their gods with local versions.
The work was not laid tile by tile on site. Panels were made in advance and carried to the villa, where the mosaicist and his team slotted them into place. Once down, the floor was simply washed clean, and it can still be seen today.
