Curiosities discovered by workmen digging in Leadenhall Street, included this item (see below), the centre of a Roman tessellated mosaic which is now in the British Museum collection.
“Some curiosities found last week in digging opposite the East-India House in Leadenhall-street, prove to be exceedingly valuable. About ten feet below the surface of the street, the workmen finding something hard, it was immediately inspected by the respectable antiquarian Mr. Wilkins, by whose direction and assiduity a perfect urn was soon brought out. It contained a quantity of bones, among which a finger and jaw-bone were plainly discernible. A beautiful Roman tesselated pavement was also discovered, and by the nice attention of the same gentleman, one piece of about four feet by two was raised uninjured. The entire pavement seems to have been a square of nine-feet, in the centre of which is an elegantly adorned circle of four feet, containing a Bacchus holding a wand, and riding on a tiger; the figure is in purple robe, and the attitude of the beast is very grand: his head looking at the figure on his back, one of his fore feet raised, stepping well forward, and the tail extended. – Under the able directions of the librarian, there is no doubt of the whole being rendered well worthy the attention of the antiquarian.”
The Stamford Mercury, 13th January, 1804.
‘Central roundel from mosaic pavement; depicts Bacchus, riding on a tiger, referring to the myth that the god visited India; with geometric border.’
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