Mosaics

Synonyms

Tesselations; Tesserae

Definition

Arrangement of small fragments of stones, colored glasses, golden pieces, or other materials, fixed on walls or pavements and depicting an image or making an abstract pattern. The technique of mosaic is a decorative art that reached a peak during the Byzantine period of Christian art.

Overview

The traditional mosaics consist of marbles and stones in the scale of black and white (sometimes together with red) or other materials which were available in nature. At the beginning, in the Antique age, mosaics were used only as pavements, as stones on the ground, a floor material. During the first centuries of Christianity, during the Byzantine period, the Church took over the mosaic technique. The Byzantine technique with walls done with mosaics was new in the fifth and sixth centuries. In the basilicas of Ravenna, Italy, the Byzantine mosaic masters worked with entire walls of mosaic made up of small pieces of colored glass and gold, tesserae,...