Hinton St Mary mosaic
- Audio guide stop: 453
- Gallery: Room 49
- Culture: Romano-British
- Date: 4thC(early)
- Object type: mosaic floor
- Materials: stone; ceramic
- Museum number: 1965,0409.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This is the Hinton St Mary mosaic, a Romano-British work from the early fourth century. The artwork consists of two large mosaic floor panels, joined by an eleven-foot opening. One panel shows a hunting scene featuring Bellerophon riding Pegasus and spearing the Chimæra, a creature from classical mythology.
The second panel contains a central roundel featuring a human bust with a Greek chi-rho monogram, a symbol associated with early Christianity. Around it are four male busts, possibly representing winds or evangelists. Other parts of the floor show hunting scenes and a tree.
This mosaic was discovered in Hinton St Mary and is an important example of Roman art in Britain. The use of stone and ceramic in the intricate design highlights the craftsmanship of the time.
See it in person
Hinton St Mary mosaic is on display in Room 49 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 453, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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