Roman mosaic of international importance saved for the Nation
Dorset County Museum has been successful in its appeal to raise £150,000 pounds to save and display the Dewlish mosaic.
The 1,600-year-old Roman floor panel showing a leopard attacking an antelope was unearthed by a team of archaeologists at Dewlish in 1974. The mosaic, measuring 2m by 2.4m, was discovered in the grounds of Dewlish House in Dorset, and formed part of the flooring of a villa.
This acquisition reunites the new panel with two other fragments from the same mosaic which are already cared for by Dorset County Museum.
Left to right: Conservator Riva Boutylkova, Director Dr Jon Murden and Museum Technician Mark Pettit inspect the Mosaic on its arrival at the Museum.
Dr Jon Murden, Director of Dorset County Museum said “I’m delighted that through a true collaborative effort between Dorset County Museum, the export licensing team at Arts Council England, a wide range of funding bodies, archaeological organisations, and the local community, we have been able to save the Dewlish Mosaic for the nation, and for the people of Dorset.
“It’s been a privilege to work alongside all these people on this most vital acquisition. I’m delighted that, once cleaned and conserved, it will take pride of place within the restored historic stairwell at Dorset Museum – alongside the other internationally significant Roman mosaics that are already in our collection in Dorchester.”
The purchase was made possible due to nearly 100 donations from supporters both large and small. Key donations received include £50,000 from the Arts Council England/ V&A Purchase Grant Fund, £40,000 from Art Fund, £30,000 from the Headley Trust, and £10,000 from the Association for Roman Archaeology. Further support was given by many other organisations and individuals from Dorset and further afield, including Richard Beleson, a San Francisco-based benefactor who is passionate about keeping Roman artefacts on public display in the areas from which they come.
Anthony Beeson from the Association for Roman Archaeology said “The exceptional quality of the mosaic, its importance in the history of British art, and the exciting educational prospects that its presence in the museum will engender, convinced the members of the Board of Trustees of the Association for Roman Archaeology to award our largest single grant ever awarded. The grant of £10,000 will go towards educational projects, training, conservation and the display of the mosaic.”
The mosaic had been subject to an export bar imposed by the UK Government to help prevent objects of national importance from leaving the country. The bar that was due to expire on the 16th of October last year, was granted an extension to January this year after the museum made its intentions known to buy the mosaic.
This historic piece will now be on show to the public in the new galleries of the museum as part of the £16.1 million redevelopment opening later this year.
