SKU:
Category: Handcrafed Mosaics, Living Room Mosaic Collection, Office Mosaics Collection
Tree of Life, Every Branch a Blessing
This is one of the oldest compositions in the Madaba mosaic tradition — a fruit tree in full abundance, flanked by grapevines and birds, rooted in the sacred soil of a fifteen-hundred-year-old craft. It is not a decorative motif. It is a vocabulary, and every element in it means something.
The Design
At the center of this circular mosaic rises a broad, flat-canopied tree laden with large round fruits — rendered in deep golden yellow and rich brown, each with a pale white center that catches the eye like a small sun. The canopy is dense and dark green, its layered foliage pressed outward to the very edges of the inner field, giving the tree the feeling of fullness at its limit. The fruits are believed to represent pomegranates — among the most ancient symbols of abundance, fertility, and divine blessing in the Middle East — though their stylized form echoes the kind of sacred fruit imagery seen across Byzantine church floors from Jordan to Constantinople.
Below the canopy, the trunk splits into three — a central pale yellow stalk flanked by two curving brown roots that reach outward like arms. From each root hangs a cluster of grapes in layered green and gold tessserae, the fruit of the vine that in Byzantine iconography signified harvest, joy, and the Eucharistic offering. Flanking the base on either side, two small birds — one pale grey, one dark — perch quietly at the composition's edges, believed in this tradition to represent the soul at rest in the shelter of the sacred tree. The entire scene breathes with a kind of quiet sufficiency: nothing is lacking, nothing is in excess.
The border carries the full Madaba School treatment: an inner ring of braided interlace in gold, teal, dark brown, and rust, and a wide outer band of bold geometric checkerboard in black, white, brown, and teal — the same border vocabulary found in the 6th-century church floors that made this city famous. It frames the composition with confidence and cultural weight.
Specifications
✦ Dimensions: 20" H x 20" W x 1" D (50 x 50 x 2.5 cm)
✦ Weight: 1.77 lb
✦ Shape: Circular
What You're Getting
✦ 100% handmade — assembled stone by stone by Madaba artisans
✦ Natural stone tesserae — no plastic, resin, or machine-cut pieces
✦ One of a kind — slight natural variations in stone color are part of its authenticity
✦ Ready to hang — wall-hanging hardware included
✦ Carefully packed for safe international shipping
The Tradition Behind It
The tree-with-fruit composition is one of the signature motifs of the Madaba School — appearing in excavated church floors across the city and the wider region, always with the same intent: to render the generosity of creation in a medium that will outlast the hand that made it. The artisans of Madaba have been composing this image for over a millennium. This piece is their most recent version of a very old conversation.
Each mosaic is unique. Dimensions and stone coloring may vary slightly from the photo shown.
Every order from Gallerie Levant is packed by hand in Amman, Jordan — wrapped in tissue, sealed, and placed in a rigid protective box designed specifically for the weight and dimensions of your piece. We do not use generic poly mailers or loose packing. Your order is treated from the moment it leaves our hands the way it deserves to be treated: as the original handmade artwork it is.
We ship worldwide via FedEx, UPS, or Aramex — all fully tracked, door-to-door, with insurance covering the full declared value of your order. Whether your order is headed to New York, London, Sydney, or anywhere in between, it leaves Amman with the same care and the same standard of packing. Once your order ships, you will receive a tracking number by email within 24 hours.
United States: Delivery typically takes 5–7 business days from dispatch. Jordan and the United States maintain a Free Trade Agreement, meaning handcrafted art and textile goods from Jordan are typically exempt from US import duties.
Europe: Delivery typically takes 6–9 business days from dispatch.
Rest of World: Delivery typically takes 7–14 business days from dispatch.
All orders are processed and dispatched within 3–5 business days of purchase. International customs fees, where applicable, are the responsibility of the buyer — though for handcrafted art and artisan textile goods, these are uncommon in most destinations. We declare all shipments accurately and honestly.
If your order arrives damaged due to transit, contact us within 48 hours of delivery with photos and we will resolve it fully — replacement or refund. We photograph every piece before it ships and retain documentation of its condition at packing.
For large, high-value, or time-sensitive orders, contact us before checkout and we will find the fastest and safest routing available.
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