Mosaic Floral Plaque Fragment from Alexandria

Recent archeological work at the Kom el-Dikka site in Alexandria yielded a fragment of cast mosaic-glass floral plaque. It is one of just a few pieces of this category of glass known from regular excavations in the city. It exhibits a set of stylized flowers and fruits arranged in right-left symmetry, characteristic of this type of objects, which are generally assigned to the first century BC – first century AD. It is presumed that they were intended as inlays on wooden boxes and other furnishings, whereas larger examples were used as revetment panels in architectural contexts. The plaque from Kom el-Dikka was found in a late Roman context, containing also residual material from the early Roman period.