| The Romans were not the first to use tiles and small | | | | Roman mosaic designs are very distinctive and |
| stone blocks to create designs and patterns to adorn | | | | display worthy examples of both abstract and |
| the floors and walls of ancient buildings, such as | | | | representative art. Although always immediately |
| temples and palaces. It had been done before, in | | | | recognizable as Roman, many different style and |
| both Greece and in the Ancient Near East - but the | | | | themes are used. Black and white (dichromatic) highly |
| Romans can be said to have truly perfected the | | | | stylized mosaic representations of dolphins and sea |
| technique of mosaic making and developed it from a | | | | monsters adorned the floors of public baths, whilst in |
| decorative craft into a magnificent art form. Roman | | | | the seclusion of their villas, the rich favored more |
| mosaics were both attractive and long lasting and | | | | colorful realistic mosaic representations of gods, |
| were eminently practical for a variety of architectural | | | | gladiators and gracious ladies at leisure. However a |
| applications. | | | | great deal of purely geometric mosaic decoration and |
| Around two thousand years ago the Romans | | | | bordering was used in repetitive patterns. There |
| developed a skill in making high quality cement mortar | | | | were also many mosaics of pastoral and culinary |
| and concrete that was both structurally very strong | | | | themes in somewhat random, but pleasing depictions, |
| and also waterproof. This technological innovation | | | | especially in dining rooms and reception areas. |
| allowed for considerable scope and flexibility in | | | | It is wonderful that numbers of fine mosaic panels, |
| developing architectural forms and led to the | | | | many still in excellent condition, can be found all over |
| widespread use of mosaic panels for enhancing the | | | | the numerous lands that Rome once ruled - vivid |
| looks and utility of their buildings. To make their | | | | reminders of a time when her mighty empire |
| mosaics, they used tiny, squared off blocks of | | | | stretched from Britain in the West to Israel and Iraq |
| natural stone, marble or tiles, called tesserae, | | | | in the East and from Germany in the North to |
| embedded in mortar and with the joints between | | | | Morocco and Egypt in the South. The extensive |
| them grouted up with cement, to provide extremely | | | | mosaic record of Rome that has been unearthed |
| durable concrete floors, walls and arched roofs. | | | | from all over Europe, North Africa and the Middle |
| Besides being attractive, correctly laid mosaic tiles | | | | East is a wonderful legacy. We are fortunate that so |
| rendered floors waterproof, hygienic, easy to clean | | | | many fine examples of this unique art form can be |
| and equally importantly, also reflected light - essential | | | | viewed in numerous museum exhibitions and also |
| properties for public buildings such as the bathhouses | | | | insitu in a multitude of heritage sites. Many of these |
| of a people obsessed with bathing. But hand in hand | | | | distinctively Roman works look as though they were |
| with advances in technique and innovative applications | | | | laid out only yesterday - their magnificence |
| of practical utility, so also went the development of a | | | | undiminished after the passage of twenty or so |
| tradition of artistic excellence. We have many | | | | centuries. This is indeed a lasting tribute, both to the |
| splendid examples of both abstract and | | | | durability of the medium and also to the fine |
| representative Roman mosaic art that is truly | | | | craftmanship of the original Roman mosaic artists. |
| outstanding by any standard. | | | | |