All posts filed under: Mosaics around the world

Mosaics of Bergama/Pergamon

Published by gertrud

Many of you know the famous “Pergamon Museum” in Berlin. Where is this place Pergamon? I had the chance to visit the archeological museum of the ancient city Pergamon in Turkey this summer again. 7 years ago during my mosaic conservation studies at the University Ankara I spent one day with the conservation team of Bergama Archeological Project. During that day I was given permission to photograph the mosaics from the masque mosaic floor which originates from 2.c AD. The mosaic is beautifully preserved and presented in the building Z on the Acropolis hill of the Archeological Museum Bergama . It was a joy coming back after all this time. The gallery below is a mix from my recent photos and the photos of 2007. Enjoy!   On our stroll through the ruins one small detail took my attention. I saw a braided pattern in a stone carving on one of the unearthed pieces exhibited which reminded me of a similar pattern in ancient mosaics. Funnily I could find this detail in one of the …

Where Porcelain comes from

Published by gertrud

As part of my residency to explore the interfaces between mosaic and porcelain craft I went on an excursion to Jingdezhen, the birthplace of porcelain. We took the train to ride slow into history. Porcelain production started first time in the world in the area around Jingdezhen in the 11 century. Here the craftsmen first experimented with the special earths found in the area that are needed to fire pure white and often delicately thin vessels. It soon became the highly sought and expensively traded “white gold”. Jingdezhen is a small city in the middle of China. Everyone who has a window to the street sells porcelain or pottery. Even the street lamps are exhibiting porcelain. Unfortunately the historic area with the ancient kilns dating back to the 11 century was under reconstruction. See below. But the large porcelain museum at the city fringe shows a detailed history of porcelain craft on 4 floors.  It was nice to see the craft very much alive and we could lay hands on the pottery wheel feeling the …

A stroll through Paris

Published by gertrud

On my way to Berlin I stopped over in Paris to finally see our grandson Lukas. He lives with his parents downtown near the Bastille and so I walked through the narrow streets around there with the stroller. Lifting my head up, I often noted small icons made of mosaic. The small figures they depict often resemble the creatures of early computer games adding modernity to the medieval beauty of the city centre. They are small often just discovered by a quick gaze up a building making you smile as they are colourful and cute. A couple of weeks later this beautiful mosaic at the entrance of the SoHo house in Paris tumbled into my inbox. I so much appreciate friends sending me their mosaic discoveries. Austin wrote about his impression of the mosaic: “cool minimalist, gestural mosaic – I think it is a super lovely piece”