Byzantine Mosaics

Byzantine mosaics flourished in the Byzantine Empire from the 6th to the 15th centuries, centred around Constantinople. Their complex religious imagery and intense use of gold and silver create art of unparalleled luxury. Byzantine mosaics show a strongly Eastern influence and use special glass tesserae, called Smalti. These are cut from thick sheets of coloured glass which can also be backed with silver and gold leaf to give these mosaics their unique sparkle. Whereas Roman mosaics tended to be used on floors, Byzantine mosaics were most often made as decorations for walls and ceilings.

Byzantine Mosaics, Smalti and Gold

The visual power of Byzantine mosaics comes from the relationship between colour, reflectivity and the individual tessera. Historic examples combine glass with gold and silver leaf, while coloured smalti bring saturated blues, greens and earth tones into the surface. Rather than behaving like a flat printed pattern, a tessellated field responds to changing light, which is central to the character of gold-ground mosaic.

A particularly useful British reference is Grade I-listed Debenham House, also known as Peacock House, in Holland Park. For its domed hall, George Jack travelled to Italy to study Byzantine mosaics before preparing designs that combine Byzantine, Persian and Ottoman floral influences, while Gaetano Meo was the mosaicist responsible for the hall. The cupola's leaves and branches in green and gold show how Byzantine mosaics can move beyond sacred iconography into domestic interiors, pairing gold tesserae with saturated colour, carved marble and enveloping pattern.

Within De Ferranti, the collection sits within Mosaics - All Disciplines. Designers comparing material approaches can also explore Glass Mosaic, while Frescoes & Religious Iconography provides a related route into Byzantine-inspired sacred imagery. The Byzantine mosaics glossary offers further historical context.

Specifying Gold and Glass Mosaic Surfaces

For projects using Byzantine mosaics, review samples under the intended lighting and alongside adjacent stone, plaster, metal or joinery finishes. Pattern scale, borders, grout tone, sightlines and the position of cuts should be considered before installation. Where a design is intended for a bathroom, pool or another demanding setting, confirm the suitability of the specific product, substrate and installation system for that application. Gold and coloured glass can shift markedly between diffuse daylight and directional artificial light, so mock-ups are valuable where a large decorative field or focal panel is planned.

Project Guidance and Enquiries

For project guidance, availability, pricing, samples or further information, please contact us. Your enquiry will come directly to De Ferranti, and we will be pleased to discuss suitability, quantities, lead times and options for your project.