Stone & Marble Mosaics

Very few artistic mediums are as expressive as that depicted by a handmade mosaic

The earliest known examples of mosaics made of different materials were found at a temple building in Mesopotamia, and are dated to the second half of 3rd millennium BC. They consist of pieces of coloured marbles and stones, shells and ivory. However, mosaic patterns were not used until the times of Sassanid Empire and Roman influence. In the 4th BC the colour range was extended by green and red pebbles.

In the ancient world mosaics were basically used for floors and footpaths. Longevity was an important reason for using mosaics. Tesserae made of marble and limestone were particularly suitable for making mosaics especially due to the vast ranges of colours available.

Although the origin of mosaics is accredited to the Greeks, mosaics were also used in Assyria, Egypt, Persia and other ancient civilisations. Roman mosaics enjoyed a good reputation, many designs are still en vogue today. The Romans sophisticated mosaics for the use onto walls and floors in halls, villas and public houses. After the roman era mosaics were integrated in Christian, Byzantine, Persian and Indian architecture.

De Ferranti has its own mosaic workshop near Venice and is proud to be continually breathing life into what could be soon a lost art.