Mosaics in the medieval world: from late antiquity to the fifteenth century

Abstract

"In this book, Liz James offers a comprehensive history of wall mosaics produced in the European and Islamic middle ages. Taking into account a wide range of issues, including style and iconography, technique and material, function and patronage, she examines mosaics within their historical context. She asks why the mosaic was such a popular medium and considers how mosaics work as historical 'documents' that tell us about attitudes and beliefs in the medieval world. The book is divided into two sections. Part I explores the technical aspects of mosaics, including glass production, labour and materials, and costs. In Part II, James provides a chronological history of mosaics, charting the low and high points of mosaic art up until its abrupt end in the late Middle Ages. Written in a clear and engaging style, her book will serve as an essential resource for scholars and students of medieval mosaics.

Contents

Making wall mosaics. Making glass tesserae ; Making mosaics ; The business of mosaics ; The value of mosaics -- Mosaics by century. In the beginning : wall mosaics in the fourth century ; Types or prototypes? : mosaics in the fifth century ; Emperors, kings, popes and bishops : mosaics in the sixth century ; New beginnings? : Islam, Byzantium and Rome : the seventh and eighth centuries ; Medium and message : mosaics in the ninth and tenth centuries ; A universal language? : eleventh-century mosaics ; Incorrigibly plural : mosaics in the twelfth century ; Men and mosaics : the thirteenth century ; Boom and bust : the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.