Floor mosaic with a cupid on a swan

Description:

Floor mosaic with a cupid on a swan, I Century BC with limestone multi-colored tiles. Hailing from the urban area of Cefalù, it demonstrates the existence of a rich patrician residence within the walls of the city. The mosaic of the emblem type depicts a white swan in flight with spread wings, ridden by a naked cupid. The decorative bands feature alternate patterns according to the popular style of the 1st century BC, the period the work was made. A certain heaviness in the rendering of the animal’s figure led to compare it to some representations of geese but, given the general iconographic value, the interpretation of the subject seems to be correct.