Fragment of a Floor Mosaic with an Embodiment of Ktisis, anonymous artist, marble and glass, Byzantine ca. 500-550, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The feminine figure, gripping the measuring tool for the Roman foot, is determined through the Greek inscription as Ktisis, which is an individual who focuses on the act of donation. The man farther away from the viewer holding the cornucopia was originally one of two figures bordering her. Near him is the Greek inscription "good", most probably being half of the total message, "good wishes". The material that this particular fragment is made of, glass tesserae and marble, was common in mosaics made during the Byzantine period. Glass tesserae are miniature portions of colored material. When The Metropolitan Museum received the two figures separately, modernized restorations occurred, making this piece appear next to brand new.
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