Another Alexander mosaic: reconstructing the Hunt mosaic from Palermo

In 1904, a mosaic representing a hunt scene was found in House B in the Piazza della Vittoria in the centre of modern Palermo. The results of the excavations were published in 1921 by E. Gabriel. In 1931 H. Fuhrmann included an analysis and reconstruction of the mosaic in his book on the painter Philoxenos of Eretria. Work on both the context of the house and the mosaic has continued, confirming that House B was a richly-decorated Hellenistic house situated close to the E wall of the old town of Panormus. In this article I will re-assess Fuhrmann's reconstruction and subsequent interpretations. After describing the mosaic in detail, I will present and explain a new reconstruction.The Hunt mosaic was found set centrally in a large room (r) to the north of the peristyle (figs. 1 and 6). The main picture of the mosaic (205 × 174 cm) is framed by two bands, the inner black and the outer white. An intricate floral border comes next, then a band of white tesserae set at a 45° angle, and an outer frame consisting of two parallel black bands with a white one running through the middle. An adjusting border of white tesserae, also set at a 45° angle, runs up to the base of the walls.