Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Iнlay апd M:osaic

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The mosaic раvешспt iп \Vestшinster АЬЬеу Pi·cs­ byteгy is as fine all ехашрlс of Roman Cosmati шosaic as опе can see nOl'th of thc Alps. An i11sci-iptioп, alшost oЫiteгated, is inteгpreted Ьу Мг. Lethaby as signifying, that in tЬс year 1268 "Нсnгу III. being Кiпg, and Odeгicus tl1e ccmentaгius, Richaгd de \Vаге, Abbot, ЬгонgЬt the рогрhу1-у апd divers jaspeгs and ша1Ысs of ТЬаsо from Rome." lll anotЬer place а soгt о( enigшa, drawn fгom an arЬitгary comЬiпation of aniшal fOl'шs and nшnbers, шагks а chaгt fог deteппining the cnd of tЬе world ! Tl1e1·c is also а beautiful mosaic tошЬ at \\ т cstшiпsteг, inlaid with an inteгlacing pattcш ill а g1·ouпcl of marЫe, likc thc ,vOl'k so usual in Romc, авd in Раlстю, and othe1· SoнtЬern centres of the a1·t. \Vl1ile tЬе material нsed in mosaic ,vall decoration is sometiшes а natuгal pгoduct, like шагЫе, porpl1yгy, coral, or alabaster, thc pictшc is composed for the most рагt of a1·tificially ргсрагсd smalts - opaque glass of varioнs colouгs, maclc in sl1eets and thcn cut нр into шЬеs. An iпfinite variety in gradations of colouг and textшc is thus шаdе possiЫe. The gold grounds wЬich one sees in nearly all шosaics аге constructed ill an inteгestiвg way. Each cube is composed of plain ratheг coarsc glass, of а gгcenish tinge, нроn wЬich is laid gold leaf. Оvег this leaf is anotheг filш of glass, extгemely thin, so that the actual metal is isolated bct,veen t,vo glasses, and is thus impeгvioнs to such qualities in the аiг as ,vould tai·nish it ог causc it to deteгiorate. То pгevent an unintcrcsting evenncss