Laminated, or piece, mosaic ( lat.opus sectile ) - a type of mosaic , especially popular in ancient Rome for flooring of stone floors. Instead of the smallest pieces of smalt in the piece mosaic, polished plates of marble or other natural stone, mother-of-pearl or even glass are used in different shapes and sizes.
Origin
Earlier pieces of piece mosaics were found in Egypt and Asia Minor, but the technique was widely used in late antiquity (4th century AD) in the west and east of the Roman Empire . Beautiful examples of the times of Constantine survived in the Roman Basilica of Junius Bass . The popularity of piece mosaics has been preserved for several centuries and in the 6th century A.D. reached Constantinople (now Istanbul ). Particularly noteworthy is the series of glass panels found in a possible sanctuary of Isis in the eastern Corinthian port of Kenhrei during excavations in the 1960s. The panels depict famous authors such as Homer and Plato , landscapes of the Nile , port cities and geometric ornaments. During archaeological work in 2016 in Jerusalem , a sufficient number of mosaic floor fragments on the Temple Mount were discovered to restore its geometric patterns [1] .
Late Application
Despite the fact that in Rome the technique was forgotten with the decline of the empire, it was still used in Byzantine churches, primarily in the construction of the floor. From Byzantium, piece mosaics returned to the territory of present-day Italy in the 12th century in the form of cosmatesco style, which was based on geometric patterns. The style got its name in honor of the outstanding Italian masters of the Middle Ages Cosmati.
Using the piece mosaic technique, the floor of the Palatine Chapel in Palermo is also made.
- Mosaics of the Basilica of Junius Bass
The abduction of Gilas by the nymphs
Junior Annius Bass at the consular procession
Tiger and taurus
Egyptian decor
Notes
- β What the Temple Mount Floor Looked Like - Biblical Archeology Society (English) , Biblical Archeology Society (August 5, 2018). Date of appeal October 16, 2018.