Mosaic

Mosaic is a picture or a pattern made with pieces of stained opaque glass, smalt or stone. This is kind of monumental art. A mosaic is made from individual particles fixed in a special mixed glue. A mosaic is distinguished for its splendor and smartness. It is practically resistant to the time impact as opposed to a fresco and does not lose its initial color freshness. Reflecting sun light smalt is iridescent and reminds of glittering precious stones. 
As a means of interior decoration mosaics have been known since III century B.C.: panels laid with multicolor stones decorated palaces and houses of rich citizens of Ancient Egypt. In Ancient Egypt mosaics were used for decoration of any more or less significant constructions – town and suburban villas of the aristocracy, town thermae, palaces. The main materials were smalt and stone cubes. Under the influence of ancient Oriental samples mosaic patterns and inscriptions became widely spread in Greece in the classical period (initially made with color pebble on the floor).
There have historically formed two mosaic technologies: the Roman technique of using small-sized pieces of smalt and stone and the Florentine technique based on combination of various kinds of marble thoroughly selected by their color and ideally fitted.

Specific features of mosaic

There are two kinds of mosaics laying – the direct way and the reverse way:

1. In the first case the picture is laid directly on the surface and is fixed in the plaster layer. This is the oldest technique, typical of the Roman and Byzantine mosaic and the most complicated and labor-consuming one.
2. The reverse laying was mostly used in XVIII century, it was simpler. According to this technique the picture is laid on a tracing paper with the face side down. After the composition is fixed from the back side its face side is finished and sometimes polished. The resulting image is not the ordinary mosaic effect as we understand it but rather an illusion of subdued luster and texture of a tapestry or a carpet, not just a stone.  

Background mosaic. It is created from ordinary tiles (usually of 300Ñ…300 mm). Then sawcuts of any size are made on it. In this case the tile structure is preserved and there is an effect of a wall or floor lined with chips.

Mixes. Multicolor chips are randomly glued to the surface and there appears a feeling of a certain image. 

Mosaic panels (reverse laying is used). The finished pattern is lined with fragments of marble, granite, conglomerate. All these elements are glued on a self-adhesive film and then on a screen (a separate tile is obtained). According to the customer´s desire the face side is polished.

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