Work has begun to restore the "Mosaic of Alexander the Great," a world-famous masterpiece of mosaic paintings found in Pompeii, an ancient city in southern Italy, and the Italian museum in its possession has released it to the media. Did.
"Mosaic of King Alexandros" is a mosaic painting in the collection of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, southern Italy, and was found in 1831 in Pompeii, an archaeological site of an ancient city near Naples.
The work is about 3.1 meters long and 5.8 meters wide, and is said to have depicted the "Battle of Issus" in which Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeated Darius III of Persia, and is said to be a world-class masterpiece of mosaic painting. I will.
However, it took about half a year for the museum to carry out restoration work because the tiles were deteriorating, such as cracks.
The work involves removing dirt from the surface and reinforcing the back side to prevent the tiles from coming off.
Furthermore, by wearing special glasses developed for this restoration, it is possible to work while checking the information on the state of the mosaic image investigated in advance.
"Mosaic paintings will shine in more and more different colors, and you will be able to see details that you couldn't see before," said Paolo Giulierini, director of the museum.
Exhibited on the walls of the museum for over 100 years
Pompeii, near Naples, where the "Mosaic of Alexandros the Great" was found, is the ruins of an ancient city buried in volcanic ash by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It is registered in.
The mosaic was discovered in 1831, decorating the living room floor of a mansion called "House of the Faun" in a corner of Pompeii. The mansion is one of the largest in Pompeii and is believed to have been the residence of a leading figure at the time.
More than 10 years after its discovery, 16 cows were transported from Pompeii to the museum in Naples, and have been exhibited on the museum wall for over 100 years.