What is a mosaic? Examples from Aztec, Roman, Thai, Islamic, and Byzantine Art

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Written By AQ

Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

Mosaics

This video focuses on understanding mosaics, both how they are made and the materials they are made from. Examples include Wat Phra Kaew in Thailand, ancient Roman mosaics at Ostia Antica, Byzantine and medieval mosaics in Italy, an Islamic mihrab from Isfahan, and Aztec objects such as masks and a double-headed serpent pectoral.

Mask or back ornament of Tezcatlipoca, c. 1400–1521 CE, turquoise, obsidian, human skull, and more materials. The British Museum. Photo: © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank.

Video chapters

0:00 What are mosaics?

0:30 Tesserae

0:50 Ancient Roman mosaics and Ostia Antica

1:23 Glass and precious materials

1:42 Islamic architecture: a mihrab from Isfahan

2:13 Aztec masks and other turquoise objects

2:46 Byzantine micro-mosaics

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