The Bank of England Mosaic
- Gallery: Room 49
- Culture: Romano-British
- Date: 3rdC
- Object type: mosaic pavement
- Materials: stone
- Museum number: 1806,1115.1
- 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
Here is a Roman mosaic from the 3rd century, the "Bank of England Mosaic." Measuring about 1.5 meters square, it dates from the Romano-British period in London. The mosaic once lay 3.5 meters underground on the site of the Bank of England.
This intricate pavement features a small square frame decorated with a four-strand guilloche pattern in dark gray, red, yellow, and white. Inside, a central medallion displays a detailed cruciform plant with four white stems outlined in dark and blue-gray. Tiny barbs and red-tipped calices add striking contrast. Between the circle and border, you'll see leafy calices and red flowers.
Acquired by the British Museum in 1806, it’s one of the first Romano-British mosaics the Museum ever owned and has been on display ever since. It remains a fine example of Roman decorative design.
See it in person
The Bank of England 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 take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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