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An Introduction to Roman Painted Fresco DecorationFresco decoration consists of paint that was placed on still-wet plaster.
It was usually placed on walls, but occasionally on the ceiling or even, more rarely the floor.
This sample is one of three similar ones, shown together in another photo in this gallery,
it consists mostly of red (which was the most common wall panel colour) with a grey-brown
design that may be some sort of vertical border.
According to Behling, pure red accounted for 31-51% of fresco fragments found at Carnuntum. Dark red, red/brown, rose, violet/red accounted for another 25-30%. Red was the most frequent color in multi-color fragments. By contrast blue, yellow and green were much rare at roughly 1% each.
9 x 9 cm.
References:
Carnuntum Jahrbuch 2008, Zivilstadt Carnuntum - Fundbericht Haus II, part VI Wandmalerei (by Claudia-Maria Behling).
- fresco colours were described using the Munsell Soil Color Charts, New Windsor, 2000.
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Painted Fresco - BlackFresco fragment of black with narrow stripes at the top - grey/yellow/burgundy/grey.
5 x 5 cm.
Similar black color fragments at Carnuntum were dated by Behling to the 2nd to 3rd century AD, fig. 12.
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Painted Fresco - Dark Red with "foot"Fresco painted burgundy or violet-red with a cream line.
The line looks like a horse's hoof but may indeed be anything.
These dark colors are generally dated at Carnuntum by Behling to the 2nd-3rd century AD.
5 x 5 cm.
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Painted Fresco - Green & WhiteFresco painting, bright green with white (which may be the bare plaster base.)
A similar pairing of colors at Carnuntum was part of a swimming fish design, Behling, fig. 12, and was dated to the 2nd century AD.
6 x 6.5 cm.SC
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Painted Fresco - GreyThree fresco fragments painted grey.
12 x 9 cm total.
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Painted Fresco - Pink, Dark Red & YellowFresco with pink, dark red, burgundy (violet-red) and yellow paint.
5 x 5.5 cm.
These dark colors are likely 2nd-3rd century AD.
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Painted Fresco - Red & YellowEight pieces of fresco painted red that merges, via an ochre stripe, into yellow.
Typical wall decoration.
Dated at Carnuntum by Behling to circa mid-3rd to early 4th century AD, fig. 15.
Total 13 x 22 cm.
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Painted Fresco - Red with Grey/BrownThree pieces of painted fresco, red with
a grey and brown banded border,
and bright yellow scrollwork on the right side of the upper piece.
Similar pieces of red with grey-brown border were found at Carnuntum,
and dated by Behling to mid-3rd to early 4th century AD, fig. 13 + 14.
Total 12.5 x 27 cm.
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Painted Fresco - White with stripesPainted fresco, cream colour, perhaps the natural plaster,
with two burgundy or dark red stripes (7mm and 6 mm thick).
Similar decoration was found at Carnuntum,
and dated by Behling to the late 3rd to mid-4th century AD, fig. 25.
9.5 x 14.5 cm.
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Painted Fresco - with Blue "trumpet"Painted fresco. White background with a trumpet shape that is mainly blue,
but dark green on the left side, and appears to be painted over a yellow base.
There are three green leaf designs above.
It is unclear if the design is meant to be a vase, a cornucopia, or entirely vegetal.
Such decoration likely dates to the 2nd - 3rd century AD.
7.5 x 9 cm.
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Painted Fresco - with two RedsPainted fresco, dark red/burgundy and "orange', which consists of a thin wash
of the dark red over yellow.
The design perhaps represents drapery or cloth?
4.5 x 3.5 cm.
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Roman Mosaic - box of tesseraeWhile colored mosaic tesserae (or tiles) get the most attention,
and plain black, white or tan are common finds,
some floor material was made of plain local stone.
This box containing dozens of grey and grey-brown stone squares, mostly 2 x 2 x 2 cm,
was collected by a Lower Austrian farmer from his field over the years, who kindly sold it to me.
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Roman Mosaic Tesserae - large squareSet of roughly four rows of four floor tiles or tesserae.
Made of hard white stone.
From the Middle East.
Total size 6.5 x 6.5 cm,
most tesserae are 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm.
Thin layer of concrete on back.
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Roman Mosaic Tesserae - small squareSet of two rows of two floor tiles or tesserae.
Made of cream coloured stone.
From the Middle East.
Total size 4 x 4 cm,
most tesserae are 2 x 2 x 2 cm.
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Roman Mosaic Tesserae - T-shaped fragmentSet of four rows of floor tiles or tesserae.
Made of tan coloured stone.
From Pannonia.
Total size 6 x 5.5 cm,
most tesserae are 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm.
Has thick concrete on the reverse.
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Stucco Ovolo Wall Decoration Fragment Piece of plaster from an ovolo border design,
used on a Roman wall - likely exterior.
Thin hard layer of plaster over more porous body.
Made with a mould.
6.5 x 5 cm.SC
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