Peacock Mosaic: Worcester Fragment
A reconstructed "carpet" mosaic based on the surviving fragments (in color), which were divided among sponsoring institutions after excavation. It was found in an upper level of the "House of the Bird Rinceau" in Daphne and dates from 526-40 AD.
The mosaic of which this is part (see the previous photo for a general view) is rich with Christian themes. Inhabited vines and paired peacocks flanking baskets of grapes or wine vessels were popular motifs in early Christian art. The images can be read as a sign of the beauty of God's creation and as a promise of salvation, and suggest Jesus' words in John 15:1-5: "I am the true vine..."
In this fragment, two brightly colored peacocks face a basket laden with grapes. As they are the only peacocks in this border, we know the mosaicists intended to highlight their importance. In the Roman world, peacocks were linked with immortality and eternal life, probably because they shed their tail feathers in winter and renew them each spring.
Worcester Art Museum, inv. 1936.23. Information from Antioch: The Lost Ancient City
