*A LATE ROMAN MARBLE MOSAIC FLOOR. Circa 4th-5th century A.D. Dim. 204 x 239 cm With frame 217 x 248 cm Provenance Formerly, private collection A.K., Switzerland, collected prior 1971 Then by descent Collection of a European Ancient Dealer, acquired in December 2011 Then by descent by succession The mosaic is preserved one single panel with multicolored tesserae on a cream ground, depicting animals around a pomegranate tree— Leopards are shown hunting a gazelle, and a dog pursues a hare. Birds are depicted throughout the background. By the 5th century A.D., a new style was adopted for the compositions of animal mosaics, differing drastically from those of the previous centuries. According to K.M.D. Dunbabin (Mosaics of the Greek and Roman World, p. 179), "Instead of being framed in distinct compartments, rows of animals are now spread freely over the surface to be decorated, forming a figured carpet. For Swiss buyers, VAT applies to the hammer price and buyer's premium (only for the lots with the * mention)