I see #mosaic in this blouse by Samantha Sotos

Find out more about this exclusive piece here.

Created by the Samantha Sotos brand based in Greece. 

M.

Details about the new mosaic discovery in Amphipolis

Archeologists uncovered an astonishing mosaic showing a chariot in movement, drawn by a bearded man and god Hermes, the soul bearer (psychopomp). It was discovered in Kasta Tomb of ancient Amphipolis.

The mosaic is made of small pebbles of white, black, greyish, blue, red and yellow colour. The mosaic is of an excellent craftsmanship and particular attention has been given to the rendition of details.

I am sure that those of you who love pebble mosaics have made the connection with the Hellenistic pebble mosaics of Pella and Eretria in Greece.

As I have been able to find on Greek sites, specialists have affirmed that this mosaic proves how unique this tomb is and it testifies the high status of the person buried there. It's also telling us that it’s dated to the last quarter of the 4th century.

A few details now about the mosaic:

The bearded man pulling the chariot is wearing a laurel wreath, whereas Hermes who stands in front of him is wearing a petasus, a chiton, winged sandals and in his hand he is holding a caduceus.

Archaeologists think that in view of the fact that Hermes appears as a soul-bearer, it's possible that the man buried in the tomb is a man. Many people say it's Alexander the Great...

The mosaic floor hasn't been uncovered in its entirety since its eastern and western part are still being excavated. The mosaic has of course suffered deterioration in the form of a circle in its centre. As it has been announced to the Greek Press, the mosaic will be put together and restored so that the whole picture of the composition can emerge in the best possible way.

Best wishes to everyone in Greece taking part in this project!

Image credit: Amfipolinews.blogspot

Breathtaking hellenistic #mosaics discovered in #Amphipolis

This is HUGE news.

I have just seen this from a Greek website and sharing it with you at once.

Please share.

Link to article in Greek

Image from www.thetoc.gr.

The Mosaics of Thessaloniki, Greece (Guest post by Helen Miles)

Just a sample of the perfection and the sublimity
of the mosaics of Thessaloniki

Hallo everyone, It's been a while....

I hope you are all well, keeping calm and mosaicing on!

This post is special. It was written by the wonderful Helen Miles, a mosaic artist whom I deeply admire. Her blog is the perfect place for those who want to find out more about Greek mosaics not just from a theoretical point of view but also as far as the more technical aspects of mosaic making is concerned. I am personally inspired by this woman and I think you will too.

Oh and don't forget. If any of you wish to guest post here all you need to do is get in touch with me.

 M.

 *** 

 The Mosaics of Thessaloniki, Greece (by Helen Miles)

Istanbul, Ravenna, Gazientep, Rome, Aquilea, and Madaba are among some of the world’s great mosaic sites with collections which receive considerable recognition and streams of visitors. But hidden away in Thessaloniki, in Northern Greece, on walls, ceilings and floors, in museums and churches, are mosaics which deserve their own share of the international limelight.

A bustling port city in a crescent-shaped bay lined with neo-classical apartment buildings, Thessaloniki is the epitome of a smart modern metropolis, making it hard to conceive that it was once a crucial centre of the Eastern Roman empire and played a pivotal role during the Byzantine era as the second most important city after Constantinople.

Yet for those prepared to delve a little deeper, Thessaloniki’s mosaics which span from the 4th to the 14th centuries, tell the tale of the city’s earlier lives; of it’s grandeur and importance, of it’s trade links, military might, and strategic position as well as serving as the artistic expression of a former glory which can still be traced in its Roman ruins, Byzantine churches and museum displays. For the mosaic lover, there is plenty to keep you busy exploring the back-street churches (Thessaloniki is a World Heritage Site for its Byzantine monuments), taking time in the two main museums and peering over the outer walls of the Galerian palace in the city centre to check to see if you are lucky enough to be there at the time when the mosaics are exposed.

The mosaics of Thessaloniki are to be found in its scattered Byzantine churches, down back streets and set back from the boulevards, but their quieter, less dramatic beauty doesn’t mean that they are any the less worth seeing. Quite the contrary.

The only drawback is that you need to get an early start and be patient. The opening hours of the churches are often eccentric and usually close by 2pm so don’t be too disappointed if some you don’t find all of them open. The ones not to miss include the beautiful glass, gold and silver ceilings in the 4th century Rotunda, a soaring vault-like brick structure which was built as a mausoleum, converted into a church, and served time as a mosque. The intricate ceiling mosaic of saints and architectural facades is undergoing restoration and covered in scaffolding, but in the side recesses you can see birds and fruit set within geometric and twisting bands of tesserae.

The Rotunda mosaics are among the earliest mosaics in Thessaloniki but there are plenty more from other periods in the Byzantine era. There is the Church of Agia Sophia which has an exquisite mosaic dome dating from the 9th century showing the apostles surrounding an image of Christ ascending to heaven as well as other mosaics of Biblical themes. The Church of the Holy Apostles, once part of a monastery complex, has exceptionally fine mosaics which are compared to those of the Chora in Istanbul. Or there is the Church of the Acheiropiitos which has beautiful 5th century mosaics of garlands and urns interspersed with birds and fruit decorating the underside of the arches along the main aisle. Try not to miss the Church of Osios David, an unobtrusive 5th century building, which was probably originally a bath house. Over the alter, it has a mosaic of Christ ascending into heaven with fish bobbing along in the rivers of paradise at his feet and animals representing the four apostles in the corners, including a lion for Saint Mark with an uncanny resemblance to a Maurice Sendak wild thing.

The Church of St. Dimitrios, Thessaloniki’s patron saint, was largely destroyed by a fire which devastated large portions of the city in 1917, but some interesting mosaic panels have been preserved showing the saint with various city officials and one with two solemn children, tucked shyly in next to his robes. The city’s two museums, the Museum of Byzantine Culture and the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, conveniently next door to each other, also have plenty of mosaics in their collections which are well worth seeing ranging from floor mosaics featuring animals and plants from a destroyed 4th century church to mythological scenes taken from domestic buildings.

If your passion for mosaics is still not sated, then it’s worth making a trip out to Pella, which is a 1.5 hour drive from Thessaloniki. Pella, with its world famous pebble mosaics, is the birth place of Alexander the Great and the scenes depicted in these unusually intricate and delicate mosaics – the oldest of their kind – range from lion hunting scenes to one of a young Alexander riding on the back of a leopard.

 *** 

Thank you Helen!

Mosaics made in #Greece: PREVEZA

image credit

I couldn't believe the sweet and bright colours of this mosaic. After a long silence, I decided this is it. I will continue to post on mosaicology posting pictures of mosaics from the world. Pictures I hope you haven't seen or maybe have had the chance to glance upon once. Here's my trying to bring memories back. Or build new ones. This image is from Preveza in Greece.

Tesserae. By Greek #mosaic artist Olga Goulandris

 

Sharing some pictures from Olga Goulandris's recent mosaic art exhibition in Athens. Authentic work, fantastic textures and material blending. Also a creative way of presenting mosaics. A video is also available here (in Greek) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYPArw2swyE&feature=youtu.be

BREATHTAKING article about mosaic art was published TODAY on swide.com

An image to feast your eyes on and an article to make your heart pump was published today 9/10/2013 on swide.com.

The article is called The culture of fashion: mosaics and it gives a brief account of mosaic art history. The images used are gorgeous so hurry up and go read it!

So this was a morning infused with gold tesserae and an immense excitement about this brilliant article that I wanted to share with you all.

BREATHTAKING article about mosaic art was published TODAY on @Swide http://t.co/Ya4vfPu8Qc via #mosaic
— Mosaicology Blog (@poshmosaic) October 9, 2013

@dolcegabbana FW2014 and the mosaics of the Monreale Cathedral in Palermo. Discover more http://t.co/zAPYWyehP0 pic.twitter.com/nksytw5GJJ
— Swide.com (@Swide) October 9, 2013

A presto!

Magda

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The butterfly of the Aegean, #Greece

Astypalea (Αστυπάλαια)

I haven't written any mosaic travel posts in a while. I'm glad that due to an incident, of which details I hardly recall, I stumbled on a late-Roman impressive floor mosaic situated on the island that's known as "the butterfly of the Aegean". Astypalea in Greece.

But. I have just realised that in one week from now Summer will be officially over and this post is still sitting in my drafts!! I better do something!

So, little butterfly island won't you open your wings for me, fly and press Publish. Please!

Astypalea is not exactly famous among the international crowd. Most of the tourists that go there are from mainland Greece.

The reason why it's been dubbed as "the butterfly of the Aegean" is due to its butterfly shape!

This blue gem of the Dodecanese seems to be a very ancient island. According to Wikipedia, its first inhabitants, the Dorians, apparently named the island after "asty" (city) and "palea" (old) which could justify the long history of the island.

I quote from dodekanissaweb.gr

Astypalea has a long history, ranging from the Protocycladic times, to the Golden Age and the Athenian Alliance, to the Roman times, the Byzantine times and lately to the Venetian rule, the Turks and the Italians, where in 1948 it was reunited with the rest of Greece. 

And...the reason for this post is ....

This lovely mosaic floor featuring the Zodiac. It's situated in the Baths of Tallara, late Roman Baths in the Analipsi area on the island. Among other finds of this site, there are two other mosaics depicting the four seasons and Cronus holding the earth.

I really hope for the best as far as far their conservation is concerned and I will try to find more information in the near future. I have done some googling but not much about the mosaics. I think I want to go there. Actually.

Well, that's all!

I hope you enjoyed this little voyage.

Wishing you a great September! A presto!


Image credits: astypaleaholidays.gr, myphotopic.blogspot.it, el.wikipedia.org, 12tetragonika.gr, ethnos.g

New ancient mosaic discovery in Zappeion (Athens) in Greece

I have just stumbled upon an article in Greek published on 23 June 2013 about a discovery of an ancient Roman times mosaic floor in Athens. The mosaic has survived in parts and it features various geometrical shapes with vine leaves and other vegetal motifs. It's a small portion of a luxurious villa which apparently belonged to an important ruler.

Article in Greek

Please help me continue sharing the passion for mosaic(ology)

 

#4 hot (mosaic) stuff

Onassis with Churchill sitting inside Onassis's yacht swimming pool which converted into a dance floor. This is a picture that inspired one of the best Mosaicology posts written back in 2010 called The land of the Minotaur and Onassis's swimming pool/dance floor.

This image is quite rare. I have tried to find more regarding this but with little luck.

A presto!

Please help me continue sharing the passion for mosaic(ology)

#3 hot (mosaic) stuff

Today's hot mosaic is from Kivotos Hotel in Mykonos, Greece.

That's EXACTLY where I wish I could be now.

Rough but irresistible: "Elite Even Crema Grecia" mosaic tiles (by L'Antic Colonnial)

Elite Even Crema Grecia by L'Antic Colonial

These gorgeous mosaic tiles here from L'Antic Colonial have truly impressed me. This is the kind of splashback you would see in those chic hotels or in a beautifully restored house on the Greek islands. This is the kind of wall that wouldn't worry you about cleaning methods and products because it's just too attractive to resist.

This is simplicity at its best. It's TEXTURE, shape and angles making the statement. No design is necessary here. It would be a surplus. The stones are telling the story. A totally CAPTIVATING story.

image credit L'Antic Colonnial

The Epitaphios of Great Friday: Mosaic of Flowers for the Grave of Christ and Hymns of Immaculate Beauty

(My thanks to a friend for helping me with this post - I am not good at this)

The Greek Orthodox Church is blessed for its role in preserving traditions and customs of both an internal and external beauty - how can one not be associated with the other; in this post I want to illustrate the custom of decorating Christ's tomb with flowers, a tradition that's considered a "jewel" for Greek Orthodoxy. I am talking about the Epitaph (epi επί + taphos τάφος = over + grave), a mosaic of flowers which often, as in the photo above, becomes an art masterpiece.

The Epitaphios is decorated during the early hours of Holy Friday by groups of women that work painstakingly and tirelessly while staying with Christ after his death and his Passion on the Cross.

The devotees will gather at church in the evening of Holy Friday to venerate, honour and pray at Christ's tomb. They will chant some of the most remarkable and too beautiful to describe hymns of the Greek Byzantine repertoire. Hymns of sorrow but also of great hope and devoutness. Those are still moments of grief but the beauty of the chanting and of the fresh flowers are the epitome of the long wait for the resolution to the Passion. The Epitaphios along with the Engomia (chants) of Holy Friday is an illustration of the life inside the grave. Yes, life inside the Grave. Not death inside the Grave.

The hymn "Life in the Grave" (Η Ζωή εν Τάφω - I Zoi en Tafo) is an example of that transition between life and death, sorrow and joy. Listening to this hymn you cannot differentiate sadness from joy. It has mixed feelings, mixed meanings. It's a mosaic of contents and of worlds.

The BEAUTIFUL and MOVING hymn "LIFE IN THE GRAVE" and THE EPITAPHIOS PROCESSION.

Women decorating the Epitaphios

The magnificent pebble mosaics on Chalki island in Greece and the island's connection to Tarpon Springs in Florida, USA !!!?

How is it possible that you "stumble upon" an island?

This is what happened to me while researching about Kastelorizo, the "limestone" island. Chalki is close to Kastelorizo, belonging to the Dodecanese group of Greek islands.

On Chalki island you can admire some of the world's finest pebble mosaics. Unfortunately the few images I found on internet have copyright but if you go to this gallery HERE on Flickr you will see what I mean.

Now, what's more about this little island ? Many of its inhabitants have immigrated to Florida and established a sponge fishing business there!

Chalki (Halki) Island lies 16 km from Rhodes and 302 nautical miles from Piraeus. One of Greece's smallest islands it has 28 sq. km of land mass and 34 km of coastline. It has a population of under 300. No cars are allowed on the island. The capital and port of Nimborio is built ampitheatrically on the SE side of the island and on the Bay of Nimborio. Many of the inhabitants have immigrated to Tarpon Springs, Florida and established a sponge fishing enterprise there. Thats why the road from the main town and port is called Tarpon Springs Blvd., in honor of the immigrants who financed its construction. Beaches on both the north and south coasts are reached from the capital on foot or by caique of which Kania, Areta, Giali and Trachia are the nicest. 15 minutes walk along the 'blvd.' brings you to sandy Pondamos Beach with its taverna and umbrellas. Nimborio's Church of St. Nicolas with its important wall paintings and magnificent pebble mosais courtyard is the island's main attraction. The former capital Hora was inland to escape marauding pirates and is now deserted. In its heyday there were some 4000 residents. The ruined medeival castle was built on the site of the ancient acropolis. There are 3 monasteries on the island: Taxiarch Michael of St. John, Holy Trinity and Holy Cross.

More spectacular pebble mosaics from Chalki HERE
Quoted text from holiday-in-athens
Read more about Tarpon Springs HERE
Images link to their source

Kastellorizo, Greece: The "limestone" island

We all know about Mykonos or Santorini, Rhodes or Crete but how much do we know about Kastellorizo?

Greece is full of places of unexplored incredible beauty and worth and Kastellorizo is one of them. The island, which is also known as Megisti, is the Aegean's easternmost island. A tiny but very beautiful island of the Dodecanese. It consists of a circular port of about 50 inhabited houses. Even though the island has very few inhabitants, they are all very hospitable and wait on the port to welcome the tourists.

Here's the port entrance.
  

A couple of panoramic views...

This beautiful blue and white house on the island was featured in the film Mediterraneo as Vasillisa's house. I wish they could make more films like that one!

What a colourful island! An inspiration for an artist.

This is how far Kastellorizo is from Greece....The location of the island is very remote and sadly causes various problems to the island and its inhabitants.....

The traditional character of Kastellorizo along with its unspoilt beauty result into a landscape that can only make your heart beat. This house is a perfect example for this.

What else is there on the island? Well, two things.

1. A spectacular pebble floor!

The mosaic floor of the "Avlogyro" square in the Horafia district of Kastellorizo is in excellent condition and features a roundel with a typical choklakia swirling radial design. Known as choklakia mosaics, they are made of black, white and sometimes reddish sea pebbles, and are to be found throughout the Dodecanese islands (for example Symi and Lindos on Rhodes). The mosaic tradition dates back to Byzantine times and motifs include abstract geometric forms as well as folkloric pictorial depictions.

2. Limestone!

As you can see in the "limestone beach" picture above, Kastellorizo island is rich with limestone. The island's geology is almost exclusively limestone. Due to the lack of significant flora covering the island, the landscape shows many features of karstification. There are a number of notable sea caves including the so called Blue Grotto which is much larger than its namesake in Capri.

The "limestone beach" picture is worth a million words, right?

Limestone beach - Kastellorizo

Everything is so overwhelming about this island, about Greece in general. Actually "stumbling on" the mosaic floor and the "limestone beach" was the reason behind this post but the wealth of information on limestone made me decide I had to split the posts.

In the next post I will be "digging deeper" into limestone and talk about my own personal experience with mosaic making. 

All images used in this post link back to their original source.

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Riding the panther (musings inspired by a mosaic from Delos)

The epoch we have found ourselves to live in requires that we have the power to manage each second of our life as if we were machines. We have to "know" but not learn, to take it easy but not muse over, to share with others what lies between our conscious and imposed "is this me-this has to be me" self. An "epoch" (need inverted commas now) which is getting old and consumed before it´s new.

We constantly need to prove we can juggle riding the panther, holding the spear and playing the drum. I am offering no reccomendations here but only a hint of what I feel is right. Learn to be diplomatic and think again. Are you riding in your race or someone else´s? Make sure it´s yours.

mosaic from Delos, Greek island near Santorini, famous for its mosaics, featuring Dionysos

Greek National Day 28th October

Greek flag with lapis lazuli and white marble

28th October 1940

A day to honour and remember

NO

ΟΧΙ

Semiramis mosaic swimming pool

Semiramis, an alternative and stylish hotel in Athens Greece is the result of Karim Rashid artistic impact fused with owner Dakis Joannou’s vision. The hotel is distinguished for its colours, positive energy and design. Its location is rather a surprise. Right in the centre of Athens!

Upon a reader's comment I was reminded that I should do a post on this hotel considering the lovely mosaic swimming pool. Thank you for reminding me.

I will be blogging again in September.

My dear friends, have a cool summer!


images via http://cubeme.com/blog/2007/08/08/semiramis-hotel-by-karim-rashid/
last two images from http://semiramis.athenshotels.it