Mosaics
The Mosaic tradition stretches from Babylon and Assyria through to the present day. Earliest examples were often worked in pebbles, but later works favour tiny elements (tesserae) of stone, glass, ceramic, precious minerals and metal.

From the 4th Century BC, mosaics were used throughout the ancient world to decorate domestic walls and floors. As the art flourished through into the Christian era, a dazzling variety of different techniques, from Cosmati and Opus Sectile to Pietre Dure, began to develop under the wealthy patronage of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

De Ferranti offers access both to the rarified world of traditional mosaic studios and to contemporary craftsmen who have brought this ancient art firmly into the modern day.

Micro Mosaics
This highly specialist form of mosaic uses minute components to craft complex and highly detailed images. Its delicate technique is closely related to marquetry.

Earliest examples date from the 3rd Century but the art was formalised in the 1700’s by a leading Italian mosaicist, Giacomo Raffaelli and was widely used in the Vatican City.

Traditionally used to decorate objects such as jewellery boxes, shrines and crucifixes. Micro Mosaic can also be combined with other mosaic techniques to provide focus points of extraordinary detail and beauty.