Roman mosaic art on display at Humayun's Tomb Museum

A mosaic of Jesus from Italian churches (above); Roman fishermen shaded with micro tiles—both on display at Humayun's Tomb Museum till August 30. SANCHIT KHANNA/HT

- Aaditya Khatwani and Aheli Das

NEW DELHI: Two fishermen carefully withdraw their nets from a river. The sunlight gleams on their bodies, and their sinewy arms appear tense, fully employed in their work. Their stance is wide, so as to not slip, and their jaws alert, eyes intensely focused on the task at hand. This detailed image is not a photograph, but a 1,900-year-old mosaic tile made entirely of rocks not bigger than a few millimeters.

This is one of the five original pieces of art from Rome's Capitoline Museum, which are currently displayed at the Humayun's Tomb Museum as part of ongoing Mosaico exhibition. These pieces are roughly 1,700 to 1,900-year-old, and are on display till August 30.

This is the first time that an international exhibition is being hosted at the museum located near Sunder Nursery.