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The history of mosaic art

By: Robert Thomson

Mosaic’s colorful history can be traced back to 4,000 years ago (some say even more). The first mosaic tools to be used where terracotta cones which were pushed with their point first into a wall or some kind of background to give it some decoration. During the 8th Century BC, the tools used for mosaic began to include the use of varied colored stones to create vivid patterns as well as pebble mosaic pavements. These early designs were often unstructured in terms of aesthetic. The Greeks took mosaic to a whole new level and turned the humble pebble technique into a unique art form that made use of intricate geometric patterns in order to re-create scenes of both animals and people. The Greeks used these artistic mosaic tiles to decorate their homes and their temples. By 200 BC the specially produced tesserae were used to provide more detail as well as to broaden the color range of the artworks. These small tesserae were sometimes just a few millimeters in terms of size meant that in the hands of a skillful mosaic artist, their mosaics can resemble paintings. The many mosaics which were preserved at Pompeii were created by Greek mosaic artists. In Italy, another grandiose mosaic art piece which can be found in Herculaneum is a wall piece which made use of reflective mosaic tiles. These tiles gave the piece a more brilliant color and it also reflects light.

With the Roman Empire’s expansion, mosaic art further became a well loved art. However, during the same time, the artistry that was seen in places such as Greece and Italy were significantly reduced. When you compare the mosaics from the Italian to the Roman Britain ones, you will see that the British employed simpler techniques and less intricate designs. The typical roman subjects for mosaic art involved scenes that celebrated the power of their gods, everyday themes (like during a feast) as well as more geometric designs such as the guilloche. When the Byzantine Empire came into power from the 5th century and onwards, the mosaic evolved another time. It took on some new and interesting characteristics. These changes include the use of new mosaic tools such as the special glass tesserae which was called smalti and was manufactured in Italy. These smalti were made from very thick, colored glass. These mosaic tiles sometimes have small air bubbles and are often times backed with pieces of reflective gold or silver leafing.

We already know that Roman mosaics were often times used as floor decorations. The Byzantines, however, used their mosaics to decorate walls as well as ceilings. The mosaic tool that they used which was the smalti was perfect for these as they allowed reflecting and refracting inside the glass. They were also placed in strategic places where the can reflect the light in various ways. This is most beautiful when the viewer moves around as the smalti would sparkle like little diamonds on the wall. Besides the Christian themes often depicted in artistic mosaic tiles, some are geometric and some incorporate portraits of pass Emperors and Empresses.

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Xinamarie provides a wide range of Mosaic tiles from Italy including smalti, millefiori, sicis and bisazza, as well as mosaic supplies of tools, kits, glues, grouts, mosaic gifts, and more

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