The Algerian Post has issued two stamps dedicated to Roman mosaics.
Roman art has given prominence to mosaics, placed on ceilings, walls and especially on the ground. This technique consists in creation of compositions based on cube stones of different colors, or more rarely of brick or glass called tesserae. Mosaic was developed in the whole Roman Empire, thus each province was showing its peculiarities. Mosaics of African Algeria represent polychrome compositions with a penchant for everyday scenes, hunting scenes and mythological scenes.
The issued stamps feature hunting scene mosaic and muses mosaic. The Hunting scene mosaic (IV century) was found in Tenes and stored at the National Museum of Antiquities in Algiers. Its dimensions are 2.34 m x 2m. It shows a hunter with a spear, accompanied by his dog and fighting with a lion. The Muses mosaic is composed of nine medallions; it is 9.23m long by 4.5 m wide. This mosaic has benefited from restoration work and is exposed at the old museum of Cherchell. In mythology, the Muses are the goddesses of art, each representing a particular art: history, music, poetry, comedy, tragedy, dance, elegy, astronomy and eloquence.
