Whether you are interested in interior design, ancient history, or mathematics, “Marvelous Menagerie,” at the San Francisco Legion of Honor Museum is not to be missed. The exhibition closes July 24. Placed on the gallery floor, the 300 square foot mosaic depicting animals, boats, and imaginary creatures is a marvel of design and an exciting work of art.

   It is especially marvelous that it survived intact for about 1,700 years and even more amazing that once discovered highly skilled archaeologists were able to remove it from its underground resting place without damaging it.

   It was discovered in 1996 by construction workers who were working on a project near Lod, Israel, a city near the airport on the Jerusalem to Tel Aviv highway.

   Renee Dreyfus, curator of ancient art, praised the sophistication and creativity of the Roman artists who made this mosaic for an entry way of a villa. Using the tiny, naturally colored stone cubes the artists were able to render three dimensional effects as well as the shape and volume of the animals in the dazzling design. She also pointed out the presence of foot prints found in the earth around the mosaic that documented the height and weight of some of the artists. They were small enough to indicate either women or children artisans.

   The Roman empire’s artists travelled through the Roman world to create such decor. Dr. Dreyfus cited the presence of similar parts of this design, a basket with fish in it was one example, that could be seen in Tunisia and Ethiopia. The villa which housed these beautiful dolphins, peacocks, and elephants probably lasted for 100 years, judging from other artifacts, such as coins, found near the mosaic.

   The mosaic itself is mathematically precise. If its pieces could be folded, it would form an octahedron made of exact squares and triangles.

Photo by Jonathan Clark