Ancient Rome - Pompeii- Villa of the Mysteries Initiation Scene One - selling 12x12" Canvas Wall Art

This amazing Ancient Roman scene is an image of authentic painted wall art from the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, from the 1st Century AD.

It depicts the first scene of the initiation of a woman into the Dionysian Mysteries, also called the Mysteries of Bacchus.

This scene is known as the "Reading of the ritual". It shows the woman initiate on the far right, carrying an offering tray forward into the initiation ceremony. In one hand she holds a sprig of Laural leaves. At the far left of this scene, a Roman matron (probably the initiate's mother) looks on while a priestess presides over the reading of the first part of the ritual. (The sacred words being read were probably the beginning of the story of Bachhus - which would start the journey of the initiatory candidate onward as the main participant of a ritual reenactment of the tale).

Mystery Religion initiations in ancient Rome were based on first-person participation by the candidate, where one would play a role and "live" the story, thereby experiencing it first hand as something that happened directly to them.

This ancient fresco is one of the selling best preserved ancient paintings from the Roman world. The colors are amazingly lively as the Villa of the Mysteries was covered with ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, preserving the paintings.

This 12x12" canvas makes a wonderful gift for the historian (or the initiate!) in your life!