Sweida, Syria – damaged Roman mosaic depicting bathing women, photo courtesy SANA
Looks like the famous mosaic “bikini girls” may have some competition!
A recent Syrian excavation depicts everyday Roman life, including a nude bathing scene. The Sweida discovery is being considered one of the most beautiful mosaics in the country. Hard to tell much from this photo, and I hope to find better pictures of the site.
The good news is the Syrian site is being protected and conserved with the assistance of ICCM, an international organization dedicated to the conservation of ancient mosaics.
full story here: A Roman Mosaic Painting in Sweida , One of the Most Beautiful and Unique Paintings in Syria – SANA, Syria.
Notice the figures on the left of each mosaic. The leg positions are nearly identical, above in Syria, and below in Sicily…
“Bikini Girls” Villa Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily – photo by Lillian Sizemore
UPDATE: 4:00PM
BELOW: Here’s a modern one-to-one scale reproduction by Marco deLuca of Ravenna, Italy, I photographed at his studio in October 2011…The muse lives on!! Is that frame drum she’s playing? Or a discus throw?
You’ve done it again! Delightful.
love it – have been to piazza armerina – might be a while before i get to syria… keep up the good work
hi nancie, you are so great to comment, makes me feel good. thanks and glad you enjoyed!
Hi jim! thanks for reading and commenting! Yes, it might be a while for me too, but at least we have the Internets. at least so far…;-)
Wonderful. It congers a great image of wandering mosaicists making beauties all over the Mediterranean. Thanks for your good work!
thank Karen…yes, plenty of lovely goddesses happy to provide inspiration to our musivarii!
i remember seeing that at piazza armerina about 1980. at almost 85 i probably wont remember it in five years or so. i told my girlfriend then that could be three girls at state beach in la, in my youth i remember the cover all bat15hing suits for men and women, at sutro baths you were given a towel and a one piece swimming suit. i rember swimming there when i was six years old with my father.at 18 i was a lifeguard at fleichacker pool which was 1000 ft long, the same length as the ship sinking in italy. i met you and laurel in between those two places not realizing you two would become mosaic giants. congratulations. i spent a lot of my life out there at the beach near the clifhouse, from 15 to 24 it was called kellys cove and we were all BEACH bums. born at uc hospital 1927. san francisco, a great city.
AH George!!! so good to see you here, and using the internet at age 85! I love hearing your memories of bathing at Sutro. I recently found your business card you gave me the day we met at the Beach Chalet, looking over those stone mosaics and the cases with the tools inside. A day that changed my life! xo