Roman Tesselated Pavement, discovered in Leadenhall Street, 28th Dec. 1803: P.55-R

Materials used in production

Coloured ink
Black carbon ink

Components of the work

Support composed of wove paper
Sheet Height 629 mm Width 635 mm

Techniques used in production

Aquatint
Hand colouring
Etching

Inscription or legends present

• Text: ROMAN TESSELATED PAVEMENT / DISCOVERED IN LEADENHALL STREET / 28TH. DECEMBER 1803.
• Location: Plate upper centre
• Method of creation: Printed
• Type: Title

• Text: TO THE / HON.BLE COURT OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY / THIS ENGRAVING IS BY PERMISSION INSCRIBED WITH THE HIGHEST RESPECT / BY THEIR MOST HUMBLE AND OBEDIENT SERVANT / EDWARD LAPIDGE.
• Location: Plate lower centre
• Method of creation: Printed
• Type: Dedication

• Text: Drawn by E. Lapidge.
• Location: Plate lower right
• Method of creation: Printed
• Type: Signature

• Text: Engraved by J. Roffe.
• Location: Plate lower right
• Method of creation: Printed
• Type: Signature

• Text: Scale of Roman Feet.
• Location: Plate lower left
• Method of creation: Printed
• Type: Inscription

• Text: Scale of English Feet.
• Location: Plate lower right
• Method of creation: Printed
• Type: Inscription

• Text: The Remains of this Secimen of Mosaic Work were found at the Depth of Nine Feet Six Inches below the Surface of / the Carriageway Pavement in searching for the common Sewer. It laid in the direction of North-East to South-West, the / South-West Angle of the outer Borber being about Nine Feet distant from the Front of the Eastern extremity of the Portico of the East India / House. The Square dimension of the Ornamented Part here shewn, which forms the Centre of the Pavement, is nearly Ten Roman Feet; / but the extent of the whole Room was probably Twenty-Five Roman Feet square; as the remains of a Roman Wall, evidently forming it's / North-West angle, were found in opening the Ground to the Northward. The common Sewer makes a circular turn close around this Angle. / All the Tesserae are of burnt Clay, except the Purple and Green of the Drapery about the Bacchus which are of Glass. The / Brick, Lime and Pebbles, under which was a very deep bed of Loam on Virgin earth. Part of a human Jaw bone containing two of the / Teeth, together with the Bones of a Finger, were found immediately under the Angle of the Southwest Border, with some Fragments / of Pottery, apparently Part of an Urn. / Great Pains have been taken to render an accurate Copy, preserving the due tint of it's / Colours, and shewing the Form and Manner of place the Tesserae. Those Parts of the Pavement which are defective are here / donoted by having lines drawn across them. The Hon. East India Company with their usual liberality been at the Expence / of taking up the Remains of this Pavement, and they are now deposited in their Library.
• Location: Verso lower centre
• Method of creation: Printed
• Type: Inscription

• Text: Presented by E. Lapdige, Esq.r
• Location: Verso lower centre
• Method of creation: Graphite
• Type: Name

• Text: EL
• Location: Verso lower right
• Method of creation: Graphite
• Type: Initials

Identification numbers

Accession number: P.55-R
Primary reference Number: 123387
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Friday 2 August 2019 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints