{"product_id":"tree-of-life-mosaic","title":"Tree of Life Mosaic","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe Ancient Story of the Tree of Life\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor thousands of years, across Persian, Mesopotamian, and Byzantine art, one image recurred above all others: a great tree at the center of the world, with animals gathered at its roots. This is that image, hand-laid in stone in Madaba — and it carries every layer of meaning the tradition placed in it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Design\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of this circular mosaic stands a \u003cstrong\u003ebroad, densely canopied tree\u003c\/strong\u003e unlike any other in this collection. Its foliage is rendered in a striking two-tone palette — \u003cstrong\u003edeep teal-green and rich amber-gold\u003c\/strong\u003e — the leaves overlapping in thick, almost architectural layers that give the canopy unusual weight and drama. Small \u003cstrong\u003edark red fruits or berries\u003c\/strong\u003e punctuate the branches, suggesting a tree in full abundance. The trunk is strong and rooted, rising from the cream-white ground with quiet authority. This is not a decorative tree. It is a tree with presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the base, the composition opens into narrative. To the left, \u003cstrong\u003etwo deer or gazelles\u003c\/strong\u003e move in procession toward the trunk — graceful, unhurried, at ease. To the right, a \u003cstrong\u003elion lunges toward what appears to be another animal\u003c\/strong\u003e, the encounter caught mid-motion in deep red and amber stone. This pairing is one of the most ancient and meaningful in the art of the region. In Byzantine and earlier Near Eastern iconography, the tree flanked by animals — prey on one side, predator on the other — is believed to represent the \u003cstrong\u003eaxis of the world\u003c\/strong\u003e: the sacred center around which all life, in all its tension and beauty, revolves. The deer, long associated with the soul's longing for the divine in Psalm 42, seeks the tree. The lion, symbol of power and sovereignty, circles it. The tree itself is unmoved. It is the fixed point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe border follows the classic Madaba School double-ring structure: an inner \u003cstrong\u003ebraided interlace in gold, dark brown, and deep red\u003c\/strong\u003e, and a broad outer ring of \u003cstrong\u003ebold geometric diamond checkerboard\u003c\/strong\u003e in black, white, brown, and amber — one of the most confident border treatments in the repertoire. It frames this primal scene with the same gravity the composition deserves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e✦\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e15.75\" H x 15.75\" W x 1\" D (40 × 40 × 2.5 cm)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e✦\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e1.77 lb\u003cbr\u003e✦\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003eShape:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eCircular\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat You're Getting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e✦ \u003cstrong\u003e100% handmade\u003c\/strong\u003e — assembled stone by stone by Madaba artisans\u003cbr\u003e✦ \u003cstrong\u003eNatural stone tesserae\u003c\/strong\u003e — no plastic, resin, or machine-cut pieces\u003cbr\u003e✦ \u003cstrong\u003eOne of a kind\u003c\/strong\u003e — slight natural variations in stone color are part of its authenticity\u003cbr\u003e✦ \u003cstrong\u003eReady to hang\u003c\/strong\u003e — wall-hanging hardware included\u003cbr\u003e✦ Carefully packed for safe international shipping\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Tradition Behind It\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe image of the tree flanked by animals is older than Christianity, older than the Byzantine Empire — and the artisans of Madaba inherited it from every civilization that passed through this land. That they are still making it, still placing deer and lion at the roots of the same tree, in the same city, in the same medium, is one of the quieter miracles of cultural continuity. This piece doesn't imitate history. It continues it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEach mosaic is unique. Dimensions and stone coloring may vary slightly from the photo shown.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gallerie Levant","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48228691738781,"sku":null,"price":729.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0669\/2513\/3981\/files\/tree-of-life-main.jpg?v=1778561908","url":"https:\/\/gallerielevant.com\/products\/tree-of-life-mosaic","provider":"Gallerie Levant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}