The Treasury - Fine Roman Art
LYCURGUS AND AMBROSIA 11621. A FINE ROMAN MOSAIC. Eastern empire, 2nd century AD. The mosaic depicting the myth of Lycurgus and Ambrosia within a running wave border. Lycurgus is depicted in the act of killing Ambrosia with an axe as she is being transformed into a grape vine. 165 x 198 cm. Complete and all original with no repair or restoration. A rare opportunity to acquire an important complete original Roman mosaic of excellent quality that depicts a famous Greek myth. Provenance: The collection of a European gentleman. Imported into the US in the 1980's. Accompanied by a shipping document.
Lycurgus of Thrace, an antagonist of Dionysus, forbade the cult of Dionysus, whom he drove from Thrace, and in revenge was driven mad by the god. In his fit of insanity he killed his son, whom he mistook for a stock of mature ivy, and the nymph Ambrosia, who was transformed into the grapevine. There is a similar mosaic from Herculanium depicting the same myth now in the Staatliche Museum in Munich. Staatliche Lycurgus and Ambrosia.