Mosaic of Orpheus charming the animals (detail)

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The mosaic is organised in two quite distinct parts:  a vast square polychromatic composition in which Orpheus, playing a zither, is surrounded by animals, completed at the bottom of the piece by a geometric black and white decorative border of crescents (the shield of Thrace, referring to Orpheus’s origins), perhaps delineating the placement of a bench, and on the other side by a floral band.
From left to right and from top to bottom we can see the following animals:  ox, horse, lion, boar, lioness (?), zebra (?), panther, gazelle, raptor (?), and bull.  The rear paw of an unidentified animal also remains, and a bird of prey of which only the head has been preserved.  The central panel shows Orpheus seated on a high rock, protected by the shade of a tree in which four enormous birds are perched.  At his feet sits a strange animal, undoubtedly a fox, with which Orpheus is often shown.