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mosaicists, workshops, and the repertory 277
Figure XII-16. Comparable Orpheus scene rendered on the Jerusalem mosaic and a ivory pyxis.
apprentice/s (Tzaferis 1983: 23). Quite evidently,
most of the mosaic pavements of a structure were
executed by local mosaicist/s. If an itinerant artist
created a mosaic some stylistic features should
be visible. Conceivably, the mosaicists of these
single-structure pavements might have been local
artist who were also builders, stonemasons, and
masters of other crafts. Other phenomena are
the similarities in the same theme though clearly
not executed by the same hand. The most noticeable
example is the inhabited scroll rendered
on fields and borders, which decorates many of
the 6th-century mosaic floors of synagogues and
churches. The similarity of the general theme is
quite obvious, but there are no stylistic affinities
between them, except for some resemblance in
the pavements of Ma#on and Be"er shem‘a. The
subject-matter likeness is most probably due to a
fashionable trend based on a similar source, possibly
in the form of a sketch-book.
The general scheme, composition, and outline
of some designs are an indication of a model which
the mosaicists followed. Such are the Torah shrine
façade panels, the zodiac design with all its details,
the elements of the Nilotic scenes which are traditional
parts of the scheme, the inhabited scroll
designs, and some of the items within the medallions.
Yet details in these designs, though recurring,
do not always follow a precise model, see
the bird-cages, double baskets, baskets which are
illustrated in different patterns (pls. VI.13-16).
The Be"er Shem#a inhabited vine scrolls mosaic
illustrates only two of the vintage episodes: the
flute player, and the figure leading a loaded
donkey. The other episodes with human figures
are pastoral scenes, such as a shepherd, the nursing
woman, a figure holding an object, the figure
leading a camel, another leading a giraffe, and a
figure riding an elephant.
The mosaic of the inhabited vine scrolls in the
north aisle of Petra church has no episodes of
vintage. The human figures are depicted only
in pastoral scenes such as a shepherd, three figures
holding various objects, and figures with a
camel (pls. VI.6-8). The mosaic in the church’s
south aisle also shows pastoral scenes of a different
nature, such as fishing and bird catching, as
well as personifications.
Some of the renditions of arable and hunting
scenes (see Chap. VII) follow traditional conventions
that perhaps were adapted to models that
served the mosaicist. Examples include some of