Overview

From Wilderness to Paradise presents an in-depth study of the large mosaic pavement in the East Church at Qasr el-Lebia in Cyrenaica, Libya. The pavement, which survives almost in its entirety, consists of fifty panels, each containing a different image. Despite being described as ‘the finest and most interesting set of Christian mosaics yet found in Libya’ (Illustrated London News, December 1957), subsequent studies have generally dismissed the pavement as a random selection of images with no symbolic meaning and no overarching scheme. This book argues that the remarkably rich and complex mosaic should be understood as a coherent whole. A discussion about reading imagery in Late Antiquity precedes a meticulous iconographical study. Within the pavement’s overall coherence, the grid layout allows the panels to be read in different directions, rather like a crossword puzzle, their meaning shifting with each change of focus. Particular attention is paid to small groups of images related either by subject matter or location, and the discussion shows how the placement of certain panels impacts the surrounding imagery, giving meaning over and above the significance of individual motifs. The iconographical study concludes by considering the mosaic from the viewpoint of those moving across the pavement and the phenomenological responses this interaction may have elicited. It suggests that as the images passed fleetingly underfoot, a journey unfurled and one was led from a chaotic oceanic wilderness in the east, to a more orderly paradisiacal world further west.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jane Chick (Associate, University of East Anglia)
Publisher:   Archaeopress
Imprint:   Archaeopress Archaeology
Weight:   0.540kg
ISBN:  

9781803277301

ISBN 10:   1803277300
Pages:   168
Publication Date:   07 March 2024
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

1. Introduction Overview of the Mosaics The Large Mosaic Pavement Pavements in the Northeast Annex and Sanctuary Northeast Annex Sanctuary Dating 2. Cyrenaica Geographical Context Christianity in Cyrenaica The Archaeological Site at Qasr el-Lebia West Church East Church 3. Reading the Mosaic Pavement Imagery and Literature in Late Antiquity Varietas Layout of the pavement 4. Iconographic Analysis Ocean and Nile Personifications - Kosmesis, Ktitis and Ananeosis The Rivers of Paradise Kastalia and the Eagle A Musician, a Leopard and a Satyr Architectural Representations Two-by-Two 5. Overall Programme The Journey: Wilderness to Paradise Wilderness Paradise 6. Architectural Setting and Hypotheses Architectural Setting Hypothesis 1: The Large Mosaic as the Pavement of part of an Episcopium Hypothesis 2: The Large Pavement as Part of a Baptismal Complex Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Author Information

Dr Jane Chick is an associate at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, and is honorary editor of Mosaic, the journal of the Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics (ASPROM). She has published articles on mosaics from Libya, Cyprus and Tunisia.

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