The pheasant is not a common subject, and in Ravenna it only appears in the Archiepiscopal Chapel, with no less than ten specimens. This mosaic is masterfully rendered and denotes careful observation of details. The sinuous patterns of black tesserae define the profile of body, feet, shadows in the feathering of neck and wings. Brown tesserae, in warmer or cooler tones are cut into different shapes to simulate the roundness of the stomach, the hanging wattles and the two ear horns. They are juxtaposed to pink, ochre and blue tesserae to render the splendid nuances and colours of the feathers.
The pheasant, in its symbolic meaning, can be associated with birth and rebirth. In ancient Rome, the phoenix – famous for rising from its own ashes and later adopted as symbol of Christ’s Resurrection – took on the appearance of a golden pheasant.