Kilim: The Complete Guide - History, Pattern, Technique, Identification by Alastair Hull, Jose Luczyc-Wyhowska. Publication year 2000 and publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd. 352 pages.

So much of Roman artwork is lost. Except in remarkable circumstances, Roman paintings, textiles, and drawings were too fragile to survive the long centuries of neglect. Almost all are now long go…

60+ Stunning Photos of the Legacy Of The USSR. Discover the history of soviet mosaics, sgraffito, and vintage bas-reliefs. Amazing mosaics in Ufa portraying historical figures and technological advances of the USSR.

With detailed narratives, Roman mosaics offer insight into daily life of an ancient civilization. Uncover the history and technique behind Roman mosaic art.

60+ Stunning Photos of the Legacy Of The USSR. Discover the history of soviet mosaics, sgraffito, and vintage bas-reliefs. Amazing mosaics in Ufa portraying historical figures and technological advances of the USSR.

I experimented with some amazing and fun art techniques at the NAEA ’19 Conference that I am going to share with you today. These are ticketed hands-on workshops that are longer (2 hours) and…

The art of mosaic is usually understood as the art of small cubes. However, mosaic art is a much broader term that encompasses several techniques.

I experimented with some amazing and fun art techniques at the NAEA ’19 Conference that I am going to share with you today. These are ticketed hands-on workshops that are longer (2 hours) and…

60+ Stunning Photos of the Legacy Of The USSR. Discover the history of soviet mosaics, sgraffito, and vintage bas-reliefs. Amazing mosaics in Ufa portraying historical figures and technological advances of the USSR.

I am constantly asked "How long does it take you to make things?" My answer is usually "it's in-calculable" and then I go on to share how I make all the parts and pieces because I think that is REALLY what people are asking. Of course it's very hard to explain

Since the beginning of art, animals were one of the favorite subjects. We know that the oldest representations of beasts were created about 38 millennia BC, but the fascination humans have had with fauna never waned. Civilizational development brought progress to the world of art, and representations of the animal kingdom started to diversify and gain different meanings. Although the oldest mosaics found in Mesopotamia are mainly abstract, figurative imagery snuck into the mosaic pretty quickly and with it – animal forms. Developing the technique of tesserae to perfection since the 5th century BC, ancient Greeks, and especially Romans later, enjoyed portraying both domestic and wild animals on their mosaic floors, while the selection of both decorative and eschatological scenes ranged from pictures of hunt and mythology to landscapes and encyclopedia-like bestiaries. Animal mosaics became a common theme throughout the Mediterranean, and we can find them in virtually every archaeological site in this area, including the European part of the region, the islands, and Northern Africa as well. Moreover, one of the museums with an impressive collection of Roman-era mosaics depicting many animals is Bardo Museum in Tunis, Tunisia. Photo Credit: Roman floor mosaic from the Bardo Museum in Tunis, 2nd century – Author Giorces Despite many of the ancient mosaic floors having a purely decorative role, it’s a known fact that ancient art was mainly mythological. Being set in nature, spectacles showing Dionysos, Neptune, Orpheus, Apollo usually involved groups of animals, many of which were fantastic creatures. Still, the inspiration for all of these hybrid beings can be found in everyday life and events such as hunting, farming, and fishing. Gladiator games were a great setting for depictions of wild animals, usually big cats such as lions, leopards, and tigers, while ocean-related scenes often displayed a range of interesting sea beings. While some of these beasts had an active role in the fable (such as Nemean Lion, for example), many were there to fill the empty space and demonstrate the talent of the unknown mosaic artist. Fascination with animals did not decline with the increasing dominance of Christian art, despite the complete change in iconography. On the contrary, many views of the Garden of Eden, as well as the prefigurations of Christ as a lamb and animals mentioned in the Bible were an ideal “excuse” to depict another member of the animal kingdom, usually in a characteristic style of the early medieval art. Because of the complicated technique, expensive materials and considerable skill that was required to create a mosaic, it was considered an “imperial” technique. So, the most extraordinary examples of the early Christian mosaics usually do have an imperial patron – namely, Emperor Justinian the Great and they are made in the tradition of the Byzantine art. Providing crucial information about the culture and the way of life, ancient art is more than just an impressively crafted group of artifacts. It’s a valuable historical source that teaches us how people that lived several thousand years ago looked at life, and how they saw both flora and fauna. Knowing that they depicted animals often, especially in their precious mosaics, is important because it shows us what animals they saw as interesting, useful, or impressive. Ancient mosaics are generally dominated by birds, lions, and other mighty felines, and marine creatures, also showing what the actual fauna of the ancient Mediterranean world looked like. Many of these species are still identifiable today, and the absolute majority is crafted with an outstanding ability. However, as is the case in art, the quality of ancient animal mosaics greatly depended on the generosity of the patron and the region in which it was created. Photo Credit: Nile Scene Mosaic , The Hause of Faun, Pompeii The Most Famous Ancient Mosaics Depicting Animals Mosaics of Pompeii Houses in the developed and prosperous Roman city of Pompeii were often decorated with floor mosaics. Animal scenes were common in these opulent dwellings and one of the most famous (or just best preserved) Pompeian villas is The House of Faun. The villa was decorated with many tesserae arrangements depicting animals, in both aquatic or dry environment. Photo Credit: Battle of Issus Mosaic – Museo Archeologico Nazionale – Author Berthold Werner The Battle of Issus Found in the House of Faun in Pompeii, “The Alexander Mosaic” a.k.a. “The Battle of Issus” is one of the most famous ancient mosaic battle scenes in the world. It’s dated to about 100 BC, and the original is kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. Albeit the focus is put on the fight between Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia, this great episode is one of the earliest ones that show galloping horses in battle. If we look at the anatomy of animals and the masterfully executed foreshortening, it’s clear that this work is a mosaic masterpiece. Focusing on the noble animals alone, we can read their distress caused by the conflict, and see the power and beauty they symbolize. Photo Credit: Fish detail – Lod Mosaic, about A.D. 300 – Author Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany The Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel Accidentally discovered in 1996 on the site of ancient Lydda, the Roman Mosaic of Lod is dated to about 300 AD. This beautifully preserved mosaic is of the highest artistic and artisanal quality and it consists of several elaborate panels showing different animals in separate triangular, square or hexagonal fields. The panels portray a range of domestic and exotic fauna, revealing the ancient fascination with the animal kingdom and the roles these creatures played in life – utilitarian to entertaining alike. Photo Credit: Birds Mosaic Caesarea-Maritima – Author Bukvoed The Birds Mosaic of Cesarea Dated to late 6th or early 7th century, the famous “Birds Mosaic” of ancient Caesarea (today’s Israel) once decorated the central courtyard of a lavish Roman palace. It provides an encyclopedic insight into the avian fauna of the area, and it is also decorated with a frame showing trees, fruits, and mammals. While the birds are mostly static, the surrounding beasts are shown in movement, and we can identify lions, bears, leopards, wild goats, dogs, elephants, gazelle, oxen, boars, and horses. Photo Credit: A peacock, detail from the 6th century AD Birds Mosaic of Caesarea, Israel – Author Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany Christian Mosaics and Animal Imagery Having adopted and assimilated many customs from the pagan world, early Christianity brought a completely different approach to the art. Everything was inspired by the Old and the New Testament and animals were only shown to enrich the religious scenes. Photo Credit: Floor mosaic from the Basilica in Aquileia – Author Wolfgang Sauber Floor Mosaics of Aquileia Cathedral Dated to the 4th century AD, tile floor of the Aquileia Cathedral is a masterpiece of Paleochristian art. Images of people, animals, and plants fill its square and octagonal fields, separated by an elaborate abstract interlacing design. Culturally, this immense work of mosaic art is interesting because it includes pagan motifs along with clear Christian symbolism. Photo Credit: The Great Palace of Consnatninople – Mosaic Museum, Remains of floor mosaic The Great Palace of Constantinople Christian era did bring a brief peak in mosaic art, especially during the rule of Justinian I in Constantinople. The floor of Great Palace of Constantinople was covered in wonderful mosaics and only fragments of this vast work of art remain to date. Pictures shown on this tile piece are mainly secular in nature, corresponding to the building they decorated. By the very few remains, we can only imagine the range of fauna and flora shown throughout the palace in domestic, hunting, bucolic, or oceanic scenes. Photo Credit: 6th century Byzantine apse mosaic, Sant’Apollinare in Classe (Ravenna, Italy) – Author Berthold Werner Animals in Ravenna Mosaics Finally, it would be unfair not to mention Ravenna as a city where some of the most brilliant early Christian mosaics were preserved. The iconography of its monuments is generally biblical, but there are animals that played an important role in the context. Although floral and abstract decoration dominates, there are many images of the Lamb of God, one of the most common prefigurations of Christ. One of the most elaborate heavenly scenes is the Crux Gemmata from Sant’ Apollinare in Classe, showing a flock of sheep gathering around a jeweled cross. Photo Credit: The_Lod_Mosaic,_Israel_Antiquities_Authority Photo Credit: Young Man and a Donkey – Byzantine Mosaic from the Great Palace of Constantinople

Day 121 Julian Schnabel (1951-) Hopper, 1991 Schnabel became known in the ‘80’s for his smashed plates paintings, and has continued to work with a range of different materials and motifs; also borrowing from a range of sources such as classical images to abstraction. He has since directed some key films, such as Basquait, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Celebrates the beautiful things that women are, make and do.

Merman's Court, is the great hall of the New Castle in White Harbour, its walls, floor and ceiling were made of wooden planks notched cunningly together and decorated with all the creatures of the...

In my final post on the Chora in Istanbul, I want to share some of my pictures showing the decorative richness of this Byzantine Church. Even by the time that Metochites had the Church decorated in…

Curious looking image. Location: Rome, Catacomb della Via Latina. Technique: Fresco –uralprosvet.ru Artist: Paleo-Christian (5th century ) Early Christian art, also called Paleo-Christian art or primitive Christian art, architecture, painting, and sculpture from the beginnings of Christianity until about the early 6th century, particularly the art of Italy and the western Mediterranean. (Early Christian art […]

Five artists create magic out of the mundane.

Photographed at the Museo Archaeologico Nazionale di Napoli in Naples, Italy

Intricate, ethereal and highly textured, the abstract compositions of Japanese mosaic artist Toyoharu Kii reflect a sophisticated approach to the technical art of mosaic making. Classically trained in Florence, Italy, Kii creates his modern mosaics using traditional techniques and materials, including hand-cut Italian marble and Venetian smalti glass. Eschewing the figural in favor of the abstract, his mosaics rely on contrasts of pattern and form to convey complex themes and achieve visual harmony. Toyoharu Kii’s latest body of work "Geophytes” continues themes of rebirth and renewal. A reference to plants that regrow from hidden elements beneath the earth’s surface, the series celebrates the resilience of the natural world. Each mosaic is imagined as a landscape that documents a history of environmental damage due to human activity, and the subsequent return of nature as a restorative force. Through the juxtaposition of patterns and the interplay of order and disorder, Kii creates man-made "images of destruction” and finds hope in the future by "reconstructing nature.” In this mosaic entitled "Ghost (Waiting for Friends)," Kii takes a more representational approach to his storytelling, creating figurative drawings out of thin lines of tesserae. The mosaic belongs to his "Ghost” triptych, wherein Kii uses "wings” to represent the presence of a heavenly being, perhaps the ghosts of past spirits or the presence of an angel or guardian. In "Ghost (Waiting for Friends),” Kii imagines that "some day on the dilapidated land a strange creature might appear.” Comprised of a dense mosaic of abstract patterns, this strange figure may represent nature’s return to a barren landscape. Sheltered by the wings of a kindly guardian, the creature roams the earth searching for others to join him. "Ghost (Waiting for Friends),” 2022 Toyoharu Kii (b. 1953) Marble mosaic and smalti.

An Egyptian official has claimed that Alexander the Great's tomb is in Siwa, Egypt, the Egypt Independent reported on Friday.

Roman and Byzantine mosaics developed at roughly the same time periods and thus exerted influence upon one another. However, both did possess distinct styles, techniques, subject matter, and materials. Whereas Roman mosaics were largely functional, Byzantine structures placed an emphasis on decorative touches.

I interviewed Japanese designer Yukiko Nagai who makes stunning one of a kind furniture using traditional mosaic art techniques

Hunting scene mosaic from Justinian the First's Grand Palace discovered in Sultanahmet district of Istanbul beneath a bazaar

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Explore the British Museum collection and journey through two million years of human history.

Not all creative lapidary work involves cutting gems. Rock artistry techniques like suiseki and glyptography can offer some imaginative possibilities.

Dive into the captivating world of mosaic art with the exquisite Fish Pond Mosaic crafted by the renowned artist Gary Drostle. This stunning masterpiece,

Mesopotamian art and architecture, the art and architecture of the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. Notable works include the Standard of Ur, the stela of Naram-Sin, and the stela inscribed with the law code of Hammurabi. Learn more about the history and defining characteristics.

Roman Relief with dancing Maenad [120-140] Madrid Museo Nacional del Prado

With detailed narratives, Roman mosaics offer insight into daily life of an ancient civilization. Uncover the history and technique behind Roman mosaic art.

August got its name from one of the greatest Roman emperors to ever rule, so the least we can do is dedicate this first August article to ancient Roman mosaic art.

The techniques that the ancient Romans employed to make their beloved wine are being revived in a sun-baked corner of Italy.