Cave canem

Hand made by Koko Mosaico, Ravenna's technique, direct method on cemetitious glue.

Marble tesserae cut by hand with the ancient tools, the hammer and the hardie.

The artwork is intended to be an interpretation of the famous dog depicted in the Roman mosaic Cave canem of the House of Orpheus in Pompeii, now preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy.

Cave canem is a Latin phrase which literally means "Beware of the dog!".

It was written at the entrance of the houses to warn that a potentially dangerous dog was inside them.

The practice is quite similar to that in use today.