III.

Pre-Christian Mosaics

In Mesopotamia in the 4th to 3rd millennia bc, there developed a type of mosaic composed of slender cones of baked clay. The base ends of some of the cones were painted red, black, and white. The cones were embedded in mud brick walls to create a decorative and protective coating in geometric patterns, perhaps derived from textiles or matting. A large section of a Sumerian wall of half-columns (early 3rd millennium bc) from Erech (Uruk), decorated with these patterns, is preserved in the Staatliche Museen, West Berlin. See Mesopotamian Art and Architecture.

In Crete and on the Greek mainland in the Bronze Age (1600-1000 bc), water-worn pebbles were used to make floor mosaics. Pebble floor mosaics existed throughout the Hellenic Greek world from the 6th to the 4th century bc; notable examples have been discovered in Athens, Corinth, Delphi, Olympia, Olynthus, Pella, Assus, and Tarsus. The polychrome pebble mosaics at Pella in Macedonia, dating from about 300 bc, are excellent examples of the use of subtle variations in the colour of water-polished stones to create beautiful figural compositions, often depicting light figures against a dark background, delineated by either lead or ceramic strips.

Before the end of the 3rd century bc, pebbles were in large part replaced by tesserae cut from stone and sometimes from glass. The smooth surfaces of the tesserae made the mosaic more resistant to wear and tear and also made possible the creation of more detailed designs. Cutting the tesserae to small sizes and packing them closely together, craftsmen were able to create designs of impressive detail, realistically depicting scenes with human figures, animals, plants, and landscapes. See Greek Art and Architecture.

The Romans learnt the art of mosaic from the Greeks, and developed their own mosaic style. Mosaics then spread throughout the Roman Empire. Polychrome scenes of the late 2nd and early 1st centuries bc are among the earliest mosaics at Pompeii. The Alexander mosaic from the House of the Faun depicts the Battle of Issus and is thought to be a copy of a lost Hellenistic painting of the 4th century bc; the mosaic, however, was most probably executed in the 1st century bc. Mosaics from Antioch (modern Antakya in Turkey) dating from the late 2nd to the 6th century ad show a predilection for polychrome figural mosaics. Mythological themes, including the Judgement of Paris, Narcissus, and the Labours of Hercules, are depicted with great realism and in brilliant colours. See Roman Art and Architecture.