De vroegste mozaïeken op Cyprus in de context van de mediterrane mozaïektraditie
In this study, the earliest decorative mosaics on Cyprus are examined in the context of the Hellenistic mosaic tradition. This theme is important to define the character of the earliest Cypriot mosaic production. The Cypriot material consist of eight mosaics at the coastal sites of Nea Paphos, Kourion, Amathus and Kition, of which six are still in situ. They cover a time span from the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD. Five of the mosaics are characterized by geometric or vegetative motifs; the other three depict figurative scenes. Most of the Cypriot examples are technically executed with pebbles and not with tesserae, a more sophisticated mosaic material of the Hellenistic period. Iconographical analysis of the mosaic motifs emphasizes the importance of maritime themes. Furthermore, two of the mosaics bear references to Dionysos and his cult. In this interpretation there is a mythological connection between the god and the (sea) water. The iconographical study offers clues with regards to the original context of the mosaics, for which little other information is available. It is concluded that one mosaic was probably part of an andron or dining room. The two other examples represent an unusual, even idiosyncratic, situation consisting of a figurative mosaic located above a tomb. These mosaic rooms could have functioned as cult chambers. The mosaic characteristics such as the crude pebbles, the simple mainly geometric scenes and remarkable contexts underline the idiosyncratic role of the Cypriot mosaic production during the Hellenistic period.