This restored mosaic represents the type of decoration found on floors of large buildings in the mid-sixth century, the peak of the early Byzantine Empire.

A monumental bust shows a stunningly bejeweled woman with large, inviting eyes. She is Ktisis, the personification of the pre-Christian idea of the generous act of foundation, or providing money for a building.

To the left of Ktisis, there’s a man holding a large cornucopia filled with fruits and leaves. He is identified by the Greek word Kaloi, meaning good or beautiful, and serves as a proclamation of the donor’s generosity. These two figures were part of a larger program, where another man would have appeared to the right of Ktisis, probably with the Greek word Kaipoi, so that the full inscription would read as good wishes.

Floor mosaics originated in the Greek and Roman world. Sometimes rugs were woven in the same patterns to cover the floors in cold weather.