Floor

A. Karivieri & R. Forsell

The floor is in two sections. The western part is at a lower level than the eastern; an Apennine limestone step separates the two. The west part of the floor, between the main door and the Apennine limestone step, is covered by cocciopesto decorated with randomly placed white tesserae. The east part consists of a mosaic floor in opus tessellatum that continues to the atrium and the alae.

Lining the corners towards the atrium are limestone slabs in two parts. On both sides of the opening, the slabs have an inner rectangular and an outer round cutting for the setting of the doors. The threshold pieces show a system with double doors that closed the fauces from the atrium. The missing part of wall plaster in the E corner indicates the edge of wooden doorpost.

Mosaic floor in the eastern part

The black-and-white mosaic in the eastern part of the fauces is discerned from the atrium mosaic by a mosaic border instead of a threshold made of stone. The measurements of the mosaic border are 1.91 m (N-S) x 0.28 m (E-W). The easternmost part towards the atrium consists of three rows of horizontally placed black tesserae (W. 0.03 m). The second part is a 0.20 m wide area with horizontally placed white tesserae in the main part and vertically placed tesserae at the edges. In the centre of this area there is a horizontal band of alternating black and white tesserae in two rows. In the north part, there are four vertically placed rows of black tesserae. The next band of 0.02 m consists of two horizontal rows of black tesserae, and the westernmost band, 0.03 m, of the border consists of three horizontal rows of white tesserae. The mosaic border towards the atrium is flanked by marble slabs for the door.

The central area of the fauces mosaic consists of diagonally placed, undulating rows of white tesserae, width E-W 1.49 m x N-S 2.19 m. In the centre of this area is a representation of a reclining dog, framed by two rows of white tesserae, placed 0.30 m east of the travertine step framing the upper eastern part of the fauces.

The size of the dog is 0.72 x 0.63 m. The main colour of the dog is black and details are marked with red, yellow, white and greyish green tesserae. Green colour is used in the nose tip, at the breast and side, red and yellow colour in the eye and under the chin. The other hind leg is not represented.

To the west, the central area is framed by horizontally placed three rows of white tesserae, two rows of black tesserae and, in the north part, with an extra row of white tesserae, length c. 0.30 m.

Total width of the black-and-white mosaic in the fauces is 1.81 m (E-W).