Celia de Villiers - Conímbriga

Medium: Incomplete crocheted tray-cloth, found in an abandoned house in Portugal. 

Nuno-felt, repurposed knitting, commercial and hand-dyed embroidery threads. 

Conímbriga 

Archaeological excavations open enticing glimpses into layers of time, place and metaphor. 

The ancient rocks at Portugal’s best-preserved archaeological site hold memories of heating

ducts for three public thermal baths. Ruins of simple dwellings and grand villas with

exquisite mosaic floors and the remains of elaborate fountains await curious visitors.  I

imagine the richly pigmented fragments of stone being assembled by local women, who

contributed to the intricate, geometric patterns and the fascinating hunting scenes on the

floors.  I admire the artisans who created thousands of thumbnail-sized tesserae without

power-tools.

The citadel Conímbriga, of the Roman province Lusitania, thrived between the Iron age (9 th

century BC) and the 5 th century AD. Its inhabitants were dispersed by conquering Swabian

forces. In layering, excavating, and remembering through textiles, I reconstruct my

impressions of its superimposed sense of place, in homage to the artesã who left behind the

world-renowned mosaics, many of which still remain forgotten underground.