Special Exhibitions
Antioch Exhibition
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Special Exhibitions |
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Antioch Exhibition |
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Mosaic Materials The predominant material used for tesserae was stone. Marbles or harder limestones were generally chosen, with other types of stone less commonly employed. Glass tesserae lent a particularly reflective quality to the mosaic surface. Glass also expanded the artist's palette; for example, it made available a range of blues naturally present only in rare, expensive minerals such as turquoise or lapis lazuli. Beneath the decorative surface were one or more preparatory layers, leveling the floor and bonding the mosaic to its architectural setting.Mosaicists in Antioch relied primarily on nearby quarries, although exotic marbles and other stones not found in the vicinity might be imported. Glass tesserae, at least in major centers such as Antioch, were made locally. Commerce in glass and certain glass-making materials also took place, with technically more demanding colors such as reds and oranges more likely to have been traded. Page 2 of 2 | On the next page: Mosaic Workshops |
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