Sunday, May 26, 1957
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Eleven
Sundy, ay 6, 957 HE ICHGAN DAIL Pae Eeve
The Art o Mosaic
Practiced Since Ancient Times, It Has Potential Today
By HARRIET BENNETT ITAMME The Vibrance and Dynamic Quality Often their buildings of earth lit-
ITIS AMAZING, with the pre- eeu ia rally returned to earth, and only
ponderance of blank walls avail-P '* to T i Medium Ofe the veneer of ceramic beauty was
able inide and outside in the ~ ~ 4 ~4 hs ~ ~ e left in the rins. At leat the live-
United States today, that more
arrhitects don't take a hint from A Challenge to the Modern Artist ly and poetic imagination of the
the past and adopt the insaic to Persins found an outlet in th
enhance their buildings. Or, if the of the interior, with the hollowa rnosaic reflecting the light in an of solid color were cut into small varied and symmetrical intricacy
architects have an abhorrence of taking the place of color in the Iunuusal manner. Most of these shape, which were then assembled of ornamentation.
the archaic, they might look at our dcsign effect. In another building wall mosaics aecm to have been into rich and intricate patterns. While the Persians used mosic
near neighbors, the Mexicans, who at Warka , red, black, and white for dcorative purposes only, and The main color used was a deep most extensively on walls f or
ithin the last deccade executed a peoer-like cones are found, and were used on templs, pyramid blue accented by turquoise, with
ten-s tory mosaic miral a t the Uni- tiese foam simple geometric pat- cbsmbbras and palaces In the bis of saffron, rich black, and n purely aei esthetic reasons, the patclRn-
versily of Mexico. teins It is thought perhaps these "Temple of Remeses III at Tel el awhife used for outlining. The pre-
Juan OGorman, whomn James insais wcre more then d coa Yehuda the walals we e aeetted daran'eg of the exquisite blue on floors and pavements. Whil
with wall1 decoration one is on-
Norman decrribesa .s an "amrhitect las e having an a rhiterttmral sgum oaith poscelain ile picturing leg shdese is undoubtedly due to the rie ihatatn teto
with a painte-rs' eye and a pantem fianare as a preservative tom the ends and conquests of the mn- stuidnance of cobalt, the coloring toereihatfthpcturatetaod
with an architect's sensibilitiesaid paec walls, for these cone 'achacnt found near Kashan, where t h euyo h itr n
va. given the tas.k of 'doing some-nanoas formed an almost watr- Bsdsteueo Ittlsa th good clay was procured. Thein csdethlgtefcio
Besies te us offlattile inand harmony of color irt, the
thing" with the top of the Univcr-pamoaf covering for the bulding the moisais small indict patteams beauty of the glaes was attributedpae nt ndformsiss
sity's library, shih aas plain wall Tie comis 're also eellent of tiny rosettes ieasuring mo more to suace richness; the glae s- pee ntendfloor moo.rata
massive, anc a virtual skyscrapcmracoustal ly, for thry break up an than the-eighths of an inch to plied thickly enoumgb to give the cal considerations, such as the
compared to its fellose campus echo four inches were employed the cola great depth. Combined with durability of the materials used.
building. This tean-tory a a e n Befor e the destruction of B aby- tiny details hasin been modeled this knowledge of glaze technique Wheres the wall mosaicist could
housed only library stakss0 it oamby Darius in 52 BC, enameldomn the clay before fhrng mnd was their drawin skill the tsotithrtleofnasmcas3
1.aeked even the relief of windows brak reles aere csediii moss.afiemwadaied iolys ais tgether making beautifully prteitl, ofeand aluch as3-
except for one sumall slit cam the Tlmse date back to the time of inticate mosaic walls possible, tacin,fhu and valuey varyng shc-
center of ach floor OGornman Nbuchmanezar, shad coned the SeCovuer Piture sith fimme detail of flowers painted nse ftseatepvmn
conmsidered tie problemm and cimn city ate of Babylomn with tlis type on__ indiidual tiles p1aed side by imaiists were occupied with the
up1 swit h the tiebbled iosr.cas thyecat decration, dricating it to thle!mimrela ie clam' tile wear ilso ideflatne smat their pieces, the even-
sotiion. He pmr ceded to ram dc hoGoddes Ishlmar'he relifs sere used cam the mau rap of tie msai. As erly as the Christiana era ness of the suface, and uniormm
this mo aemi' ade of inirii.emocmsAodynamic mancials, aeads mold fThy misay kinds of tesseraewmemactie Prsian's learned the secret of
ruhe rcko sirosscom actiimprtmoudanmmd ol. O0mmo#thi fid ito tie mall by a fiae "trae glare" - the use of ean poigty soathatuall tielpiTece
depicting tie'synmbolirCOP ci nstitretingacas tie dr's'nciieaametuuftenmt tie maccoone of sahite sanad ard soda oeswodwrac talwelh am ai
ions mot pre--Hispaiand srtCoc!' f P Bael ,ma.monst1er iamrt sermentaulapcimmalhim idiidally p m insh'of potash.These compoen,-'tud cioormeffect as tiewasll
cultural nusoory, int a cam I ithaills oclmed isaci upmcnei mciletwe eam 1mhmecasIn priodumcd spendid"lmzes sith x-
lma osmrimaiai ~t miaie 1m simtlso ci a disoct h lybd.iosaicits, ho could at dark
cgs, oubletongud hea, an a l ater osaic thissurpus ofcellet adtilentomcclilaibodtotile ellent mmte ncmn andadaa-
tr-I ~ ee ... comic miscstint, at tie el ofis (domatmm asemscmlto enanmemrrlheTie rllia'cecof the surface of his'wtligt coosn'rmeaccented cors
tai. Gaemmmialliiihe anmasmsoare of oera'll effot, tbeau" panccd im te lameiicrluls tie fic snmitiity to jitouitrom tie srmace.
The Miexicans have alwayis frlttwos 'a'orstoa i blue grounmdlinac somenmsaces ord to hghlimt emienedcam tie diamins of tie
that some sort of art bm'on-ss o qucmmse, velow andmclwmhlte predomims Itihe drm inkesoccaompnimmama macy Peransld thesm to be considred
eery builingmo 01tmsk saemumd aticg.se si ueammoof lisase gices) olraicaocrmcrly blactrim lIso as h et deco aive amists imm theRomntFlo"oris..
neithmer'pre'staserousammii'rai ms- mm''rrexaminedmcminmcthec' ibarctaiorm's aot to citi acmifrommcm am iii me omrldom imauithelaenthcto s'man-
site. Tie Aiericaimnscmi mmmeli a in ngahd'mmmclera' foundsito beisclft ta emishaCenturiesmaoThe aient Ronmams took rea
Kiaacpausead bfoer taking 0on suchm' mchmlike thearmieccas coating or1cre sith fouridations for moai
a pro;ean. as wa' seeamato tccmorcimaze colored by metllic oiris Spread t)East . -. Per'SIan.1114( 1latusa ...msmmd loms inimcfirst
Lmmank whiite wmysdsesrie cm cn occiedy the Egyptiansmmald inded'la iaereof comcir.henac alayer
creese. Perhacps this is minialImcamua- cammtther'cdhe ilr' ofI Tecorfativee t yl
i mlydtdy iE LUSTEo hs ie of small bricima set in Herringbone
a' Dirto isesa's raustic remrmk lumincengorliin, cd il amb~aylon sestohv enmeeoe
encarermauc Amglo-Saxon arrhitrc- E"reins GatosormIcvyptbet apadeslydsreimedsttyl, with m thinm stratum of linin
lure-The bet thinigjthey canm do " a If Gaes ,- orRcal.t.paenl.arcd 1by tie Pesas themseles a them ad chak cement superimposed,
to P'eria wlere it lind come down than an inheritance of crmamc u ntisli iei atr
willsmit ico ortictedvy." OT 0ONLY wreethe ceautitul ini anmmalmost unbrokemm tradition
Thein. i nt esticed t uroqauoise glaes of the Egyp- f rom tm hleu.TePrln tradition of other countrie.Un md pmn nyo eai ie
buligtxiimstnrt he.s cans daingb.ak to 500 BC h ofdan.Th hsin ike their pedecessors, the Ch1 but of marble, precious tones
Mfs+excnrItshas ecula us dhbinomnne, but alsonthe tiles theminselves, from the Fourteenth to thin Sc'ca- deans. who used moaic a an ar and glass. Often thec pavement
Mexicas. Ithas ben usd inhitctural help, the Prin
m any w'ays, employinag innumer- often ribbed or having conyex su- tenth Century, was usd cm ome weraumm 'ce only of two or three colors,
able material., and been found in faces. Thmdse textures added gr',fitly of the mot bautifuh polychrome usd their mosaics to bde flawsc employing black and white inrble
most cultures of the Eas trn amnd to the decorative effect of the decoration in exitemmce. Lrge tiles in the structure of their buaildng.ad mcd eeamic tile, set in ine
Western ord. Mosaic itself may ......., geometric patterns. In juxtaposi-
be defined a. the comubinat ion oh -"'lion to the simpliity of the geo-
diferrnt colored sinl11pieres of r'mechaic pavments, some of the
hard substanc, s uch a.smmabltflorsa schbathat excaated at
stonega, cerasmic ile and Ic '-("r'" Pomii in the House of Faun,
ems (frgmnt.s, at in some soults showed complte battle scenes hu-
of cecu't or insti, forming a elud elmchrioa, soldiers, horses,
desian achich may bihera ea yen etc,mu detail, the vitaliy of the
meteric mattecn or a pitner T mc fa-uaeo ,ad the dyucami quality
teem "mosa ic" lam ito hioads t oflie picture as a whole atesin
"dse in.yeaven be use'duto nl to the fine draftsmanship of the
he art of 'loisinec ad ilayogamlst who deca the "cartoon" or
it is ifficult to lll where, one sketch foe the mosaic. It is often
stoic.'(arec the s mumllipieces o e thought that these artistic "N -
'iry nmadc of tinsy preciousstncia moaicsiroer actually de-
et lam cmment miniaturee musa. icasigned and e xe cu t ed by the
or cloisine?) smnd tie othbegianGscek
is it correct to cll the labia o a 1cit' ' -° Whle somei of the best of the
India madr of iv'ory and wood mmo Rommu mosaics were nderfoot
lic, or isay?). the Chine'e were peectiing glazed
tmia mosaics f or roofs. And by the
Slne(bC Early 1Timeis coins of the roof you could know
TIIEART f moaic as pat-See MOSAICS, Page 17
tic e tam Egypt from very eamlyr*; A
time., end latee tie Greeks became 'urit li'Ja mum'smshe alum jony
high'ly proficient mi.cistsceven-
tually its elhief exponentsThery / dm)cicuuu a' amur- ic''mmuc
used marble, and finally intro /mmithum1/m' /m'm'aueccacccic/imat0
duc'ed 1glastesseae. The Romansaae thil(?m'miim/cacm in't 'tuin a
ued it extensively on ills flooms r
ad pia'eients, and thir terh oeuSaddsgs ln ih "/Award fit a ma/sino95'.uShe
miau' .dmclom.aon ihTWO MOSAICS of small te- Amsu!fa camrc a 96.Sc
thse- of the Byzantine glas ae- serae, Byantnewal mooaic sno c-radit'd/fromuctheun Cu f ina
siiss, frm the clasial basis taom Ravea shaovel and a''15 ui'a''f'i ua/rmdn
of mot of tie mosaic. of our tame T9ruinndsheceitudyataimle tmshth
'hh use of cer.amic tesserae, am made y Ms.IHmmmc She hasi.'mae Faein him/u /mhr faa 194 fter
mmm,1 pieces of tile, is,m iny used only cra mic tile tesserae -amocccaionamsuclmui/ 'i"anyt/ingctZ
opinion, amne of the most reward- 0 acevhpat.c/ca/mummicmi-m/u'y
ng because of the Twentieth Cen- Woa'rfgr b snzut~
tuny. nolee f lae olr nt ci'azc colors, hues and tex-;auuua' c riamaa, mcu/ma<mas
textumes', and durability of this in'- tres, Tih, Byzanutine mosaic, A of acm'cm'r ruttua" fcr cmbelr
ter'I,~ and so will make up the made of many different mateiu of m93es eu/marrccemmm!Richardl
mussjar portion of this discrussian, 'is, aehieve. a startlinely brlli-
Probably the earliest example of 'ant efteet by employing a baek- "mcae^ aDmm c v0ee''ci
eeamir mosaic is the yellow tee- ground of gold tea. erae Botha/mmcl/aummc c mcmc'Hc/as
eratta of Warka, Chaldea, This the Byzantine 0. aieists has far e xayotcamnA mum Am/cumi tHmrnfirst cc/-
"cone ornamentation" baa been a we k now) and Mrs. Ilammew> s
found in the Ziggurat tower, where laid their pieces of tile individu /cacfmm a 1c'Iiat it'cia
lb upeear fte al.er lyinakn gcmn acr-l./aa]sjrmnr,,aimecm I nca'of lae
teuprproftewlswr alyiakidoceetacr-decor'tec in panels with a mosaic lug to a previous 'ketch. vsatilittc/ h care a'caatriluuc/c'c,
of large cay cones, hollow like ama artucle' mcm c/am'act mof /adia-
voa'es, and sunk into mud plaster, amd also a/um!theu cmcomapanyiag
An interesting effect waa made by o
a'e white rims and dark shadows ala igs