page_title: Mosaic
section_title: As a popular craft
hierarchical_section_title: Mosaic / Modern mosaics / As a popular craft
caption_attribution_description: English: A detail of mosaic from a mural of a high school in Jerusalem, Israel
context_page_description: The traditional definition of a mosaic is a coherent pattern or image in which each component element is built up from small regular or irregular pieces of substances such as stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, entirely or predominantly covering a plane or curved surface, even a three dimensional shape, and normally integrated with its architectural context.
  Mosaics were traditionally used as decoration for floors and walls becoming very popular across the Ancient Roman World.
  In modern times mosaic has come to be defined as any pattern or image made from many multiple pieces. Mosaic can be found in a range of forms from traditional murals and pavements, to contemporary artworks, hobby craft items and industrial and construction forms.
  Mosaics have a long history, starting in Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC. Pebble mosaics were made in Tiryns in Mycenean Greece; mosaics with patterns and pictures became widespread in classical times, both in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Early Christian basilicas from the 4th century onwards were decorated with wall and ceiling mosaics.
context_section_description: Mosaics have developed into a popular craft and art, and are not limited to professionals. Today's artisans and crafters work with stone, ceramics, shells, art glass, mirror, beads, and even odd items like doll parts, pearls, or photographs. While ancient mosaics tended to be architectural, modern mosaics are found covering everything from park benches and flowerpots to guitars and bicycles. Items can be as small as an earring or as large as a house.
  Trencadís or pique assiette (a French term – "stolen from plate") is a mosaic made from pieces of broken pottery, china, glass, buttons, figurines, or jewelry which are cemented onto a base to create a new surface. Almost any form can be used as a base, and any combination of pieces can be applied, restricted only by the individual creator's imagination.
caption: A detail of mosaic mural made of modern bottle screw tops. A high school in Jerusalem, Israel
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