Antioch Mosaics in Unlikely Places (Morgan Brown, ARP.3)

I focused my research project on three Antioch mosaics found in unusual places: the Cilicia mosaic fragment and Interlacing Circles mosaic fragment from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and the House of the Buffet Supper Central mosaic fragments from La Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva (Villanova University) (figures 1, 2, and 3). These mosaic fragment are, or were last seen in, Norman, Oklahoma and Havana, Cuba, respectively. I completed field research by visiting Sam Noble to view the two mosaics and talk with the curator, Dr. Claire Nicholas. For the Villanova mosaic, I translated a passage from a yearbook to confirm that a photograph depicts the Antioch mosaic fragments at the university in 1957.

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History:

During my research, I found images of the excavation and the find cards for the Interlacing Circles mosaic from the House of the Evil Eye and the Cilicia mosaic from the House of Cilicia. Interestingly, these mosaics are in the collections of a natural history museum, even though there is a fine arts museum on campus. The University of Oklahoma came into possession of these mosaics by purchasing them from Princeton University. It is alleged that the Interlacing Circles mosaic was carried up a flight of stairs by a team of football players when it was received by the university, while the Cilicia mosaic was hoisted and dropped into the Stovall museum–the university museum before Sam Noble– using a derrick.[1] When I went in person to view the mosaic in the collections storage of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, I found painted markings on the sides of the mosaics. I postulate that these are either from the original excavation or were painted on by Princeton University, as the curator stated that she did not recognize the markings as any made by the Sam Noble museum. I took photographs of the mosaics during my visit and retrieved photo permissions from the museum for use on the ARP website and Artstor database.

The Interlacing Circles mosaic has areas of tesserae loss and many cracks; the curator explained that the mosaic has not undergone any conservation and has never been on exhibit, at least not while it has been in the Sam Noble collections. This is most likely due to the geometric and non-figural nature of the mosaic, which have often drawn less interest.

Mosaic fragment with Interlacing Circles from the House of the Evil Eye, Jekmejah (Antioch). Cut stone tesserae and lime mortar. Photograph by Morgan Brown.

The Cilicia mosaic was chosen by curator Henry Robinson, a Princeton graduate, probably due to his connection with the university.[1] The Cilicia mosaic contains the personification of the Cilicia region of ancient Rome, marked by a label “Kilikia” in ancient Greek spelled out in tesserae. Most likely due to it having a figural depiction, the mosaic is exhibited in the Hall of World Cultures in the Sam Noble. It has undergone a considerable amount of conservation, as can be seen in the plastered areas. The mosaic was not put behind glass, so there are multiple ‘Do Not Touch’ signs surrounding it. I find it peculiar that this mosaic, which once was walked on everyday by the inhabitants of the house to which it belonged, is now mounted on a wall thousands of miles from Antioch (Antakya), never to be touched by the general public.

Mosaic fragment of Cilicia from the House of Cilicia, Seleucia (Antioch). Photograph by Morgan Brown.

La Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva:

The Central mosaic from the House of the Buffet Supper was purchased by the Villanova University from Princeton University. It was most likely purchased because of the Catholic affiliation of the university. This mosaic is an enigma; after it was closed by Fidel Castro, the university moved to Florida and renamed itself St. Thomas University. However, it is not certain where the mosaic ended up in the move Before being shut down, there had been discussion of placing the mosaic in the floor of the vestibule of the School of Architecture at Villanova in Havana. It is possible the mosaic is still in the old university, or that Castro’s government seized the mosaic. It is also possible that it went to a private collector or the university brought the mosaic with them to Florida.

Mosaic fragment from the center of the House of the Buffet Supper, Antioch. Photograph courtesy of Visual Resources Collection, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University

While researching the mosaic, I confirmed its last known whereabouts. In a 1957 Villanova University yearbook, a photograph depicts the mosaic fragments leaning up against a wall accompanied by a text in Spanish, which I have translated into English, that states that these are the mosaics purchased from Princeton (figure 4).

Para conmemorar el décimmo [décimo] aniversario de la fundación de esta Universidad Católica, también se ofreció un Open House, en el que los padres de los alumnos y los invitados de honor de la Universidad pudieron gozar de las delicias de una tarde de exposición, charla y admiración. En la foto de abajo vemos al Arq. Batista, profesor de esta Universidad, mientras explicaba a un grupo de visitantes el significado de los mosaicos que nos regaló la Universidad de Princeton.

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the founding of this Catholic University, an Open House was offered, in which the parents of students and guests of honor of the University were able to enjoy the delights of an afternoon exhibition, chat and admire. In the photo below see Architect Batista, a professor of this University, explaining to a group of visitors the significance of the mosaics given to us by Princeton University. Translation by Morgan Brown

Photograph in a Villanova University yearbook of the Central mosaic fragments from the House of the Buffet Supper, Antioch. Courtesy of St. Thomas University

The next steps for future researchers would be to continue working with the St. Thomas University special collections and archives, establish a relationship with the Archives of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, interview Dr. Nichole Berlin, sift through Spanish and English newspapers for any mention of the mosaic and the closure of the university, and ideally, go to the old university building in Cuba to look for the mosaics (possibly in vestibule of the School of Architecture).

—Morgan Brown

Cite as: Brown, Morgan. “Antioch Mosaics in Unlikely Places” in the Antioch Recovery Project [blog]. www.antiochrecoveryproject.org/mosaics/antioch-mosaics-in-unlikely-places-morgan-brown-arp3

[1] Smith, Tyler Jo. “From Antioch to Oklahoma: The Cilicia Mosaic Rediscovered.” Mosaic 38, (2011): 13. https://drive.google.com/file/d/10vKkqnf_hsKafr4hhXMXmQlRYk-4q1vv/view?usp=sharing

[2] Smith, Tyler Jo. “From Antioch to Oklahoma: The Cilicia Mosaic Rediscovered.” Mosaic 38, (2011): 12. https://drive.google.com/file/d/10vKkqnf_hsKafr4hhXMXmQlRYk-4q1vv/view?usp=sharing