Art Encyclopedia - Mosaic

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Mosaic
Mosaic is a technique of arranging fragments ( glass, marble etc. ) called tesserae in a bed of fine cement. Traditionally the pieces were made of a solid substance but now can be made form pieces of paper.

Mosaic was first developed extensively by the Romans in pavements. Mosaic was also used for adornment of walls and vaults, and great use was made of wall mosaic by the Christian churches of Italy and the Byzantine Empire throughout the Middle Ages. As an exterior decoration it has sometimes appeared on the façades of medieval churches and in modern architecture. More rarely it has been made into portable pictures, or inlaid in furniture and small objects, as in the Aztec art of Mexico.