17-08-2016, 12:26 AM
Koen,
Well, you might be, not that I have a particular position either for or against. I'm just making observations.
1. The face, with tongue extended, seems to be rather unusual in August lions. But, unless this is a saber-toothed cat with one big tooth missing, then the VMs cat has its tongue visible. Exit, stage left.
2. The tail position is a contradiction. The VMs Leo and various other medieval examples show a cat with its tail between its legs or under its belly. The mosaic cat ,with its elevated tail position, is just the opposite of a typical early medieval representation of Leo .
So my question is: If such elements as these have been added or reversed, has anything been retained? Is visual similarity intentional or accidental? Do we know how to tell the difference?
Do we even know whether the mosaic was a great tourist attraction throughout its entire existence or was it lost under the sand for 1500 years? What if the mosaic was covered over and everyone who had any knowledge of it had passed away centuries ago, how could it have any influence? On the other hand, perhaps the VMs author came from Tunis and the mosaic was in the back yard? Lots of food for speculation.
Well, you might be, not that I have a particular position either for or against. I'm just making observations.
1. The face, with tongue extended, seems to be rather unusual in August lions. But, unless this is a saber-toothed cat with one big tooth missing, then the VMs cat has its tongue visible. Exit, stage left.
2. The tail position is a contradiction. The VMs Leo and various other medieval examples show a cat with its tail between its legs or under its belly. The mosaic cat ,with its elevated tail position, is just the opposite of a typical early medieval representation of Leo .
So my question is: If such elements as these have been added or reversed, has anything been retained? Is visual similarity intentional or accidental? Do we know how to tell the difference?
Do we even know whether the mosaic was a great tourist attraction throughout its entire existence or was it lost under the sand for 1500 years? What if the mosaic was covered over and everyone who had any knowledge of it had passed away centuries ago, how could it have any influence? On the other hand, perhaps the VMs author came from Tunis and the mosaic was in the back yard? Lots of food for speculation.