Фреска

[Nathan Ross]

This mosaic is in the Chateau de Boudry in Switzerland. It's originally from somewhere in the Roman east, probably Syria (perhaps somebody else knows a more exact origin?) and apparently dates from the 5th century. Judging by the appearance of the semi-circular dining couch and the tunic styles, I rather suspect that this is a later copy of a mosaic from the 3rd century.

The 'unswept floor' (asarotos oikos) was a popular subject for humorous mosaics in dining rooms (Pliny mentions it). In this picture, the joke is compounded by the food scraps on the floor possibly being 'real'!