Mosaic floor of Palace of Diocletian, room east of the Vestibule, Outlined lattice-pattern of adjacent hexagons and lozenges

Northern part of the mosaic

Northern part of the mosaic

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OBJECT

OBJECT

Definition

mosaic floor

Identification

part of the decorative complex

Name/Dedication

Mosaic floor of Palace of Diocletian, room east of the Vestibule, Outlined lattice-pattern of adjacent hexagons and lozenges

Position

East of Vestibule

Description

Floor mosaic with geometric design consists of two juxtaposed carpets, arranged in a U shape. The north carpet and part of the south-west carpet are in the open, while the other part of the latter is situated inside the ground floor of the Ethnographic Museum. The south-west carpet consists of two panels. Its central part was destroyed by the medieval street and the foundations of an early medieval house.

SUBJECT

SUBJECT

Identification

Palace of Diocletian, Split – Geometric decoration with outlined lattice-pattern of adjacent hexagons and lozenges

Iconographic description

Geometric decoration, black and white, with outlined lattice-pattern of adjacent hexagons and lozenges (creating the effect of adjacent and intersecting large irregular hexagons) (BALMELLE 1985, Le decor geometrique de la mosaique, tav. 213, a). The mosaic carpets are surrounded by a white frame consisting of tesserae laid parallel to the walls. In the north carpet the central design consisting of hexagons and lozenges on white background is bordered by four rows of black tesserae. Hexagons have tesserae of three colors, and the smaller lozenges are monochrome. The west panel with guilloche interlace pattern and the south panel with labrys pattern are bordered by a multicolored checkered pattern.

GEOGRAPHICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LOCATION

Country

Croatia

City

Split

Locality

Split

SPECIFIC LOCATION

Typology

monumental complex

Qualification

palace

Denomination

Palace of Diocletian

Date

4. century

Address

Arhiđakonova street

Notes

The palace today is the historical center of the city of Split

LOCATION AND PROPERTY DATA

Original location

yes

INVENTORY OF MUSEUM OR OF SUPERINTENDENCE

Number

UP/I 612-08/06-05/7527

METHOD OF FINDING

Type of finding

demolition of buildings

INFORMATIONS ON FINDING

Management of the work

Town Planning Department of Dalmatia

Those who did the work

Town Planning Department of Dalmatia

Date

1963

Notes

In 1905, following the demolition of a house east of the Vestibule, and adjacent to the temenos wall of Diocletian’s Mausoleum, at a depth of 180 cm a mosaic was found. It was excavated again in 1963, when it was established that the location was occupied by an ancient building with a courtyard and a portico along the north, west and south side. All three sides of the portico were paved with polychrome mosaic carpets with different geometric patterns.

CHRONOLOGY

GENERAL CHRONOLOGY

Century

4. century

CULTURAL DEFINITION

AUTHOR

Name

Salonitan mosaic workers

Personal data/chronology

4. century

Grounds of basing the dates

bibliography

Abbreviation: short citation

MATULIC, BRANKO Mozaični nalazi u perimetru Dioklecijanove palače

TESSERAE

TESSERAE MATERIAL

Material

limestone

Color

black, white, red, ocher, light gray, dark gray

Typology

natural

PRESERVATION STATUS & RESTORATION

PRESERVATION STATUS

Date

1997-1998; 2007-2011

Description

-

RESTORATION

Date

1997-1998; 2007-2011

Responsible institution

Croatian Conservation Institute

Management of the work

Tonči Borovac

Those who did the work

Split Conservation Department, Section for Wall Paintings, Mosaics and Stucco

Description

Because of their extremely bad state of repair, in 1998 the north and part of the northwest carpet, which were left uncovered, received a temporary conservation consisting of sealing the borders and the lacunae, surface cleaning, pre-consolidation and anti-biological treatment. They were then covered with a protection layer of finly ground stone aggregate. Restoration was undertaken again in 2007, and continued until 2011. Following the removal of the hard crust, the mosaic was cleaned using mechanical and chemical methods, minor retouches were made, and the mortar bed was consolidated. Most damaged parts of the mosaic were partially reconstructed. Rain water falling from the neighboring roof was diverted, and the mosaic was covered during the winter. A protective fence was erected around the mosaic. The southwest mosaic carpet inside the Ethnographic Museum building was cleaned, and the joints were repointed. Partial reconstruction and anti-biological treatment were carried out. Both parts of the mosaic were fully documented. Preventive conservation and maintenance is being continued on a regular basis, especially to the north part of the mosaic, due to its outdoor location.

LEGAL STATUS AND RESTRICTION

LEGAL STATUS

General indication

property of local authority

Specific indication

Split Ethnographic Museum and the Split City Museum

DOCUMENTARY & INFORMATIVE SOURCES

IMAGES

spa_dp_001_ICON_-med.jpg

Northern part of the mosaic

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BULIC, FRANE Palača cara Dioklecijana u Splitu