Westminster Abbey Floor Mosaic

The western towers of westminster abbey london completed c.

Westminster abbey floor mosaic.

The complexity and subtlety of the design and workmanship can be seen nowhere else on this scale. The cosmatesque mosaics of westminster abbey the pavements and royal tombs. It was laid down in 1268 by order of henry iii who had started re building edward the confessor s abbey in the new gothic style in 1245. O ne of the wonders of westminster abbey is the mosaic pavement in front of the high altar constructed in the 13th century.

Someone who knows them well is. History archaeology architecture and conservation by warwick rodwell and by david s. The cosmati were a roman family seven members of which for four generations were skilful architects sculptors and workers in decorative geometric mosaic mostly for church floors their name is commemorated in the genre of cosmatesque work often just called cosmati a technique of opus sectile cut work formed of elaborate inlays of small triangles and rectangles of colored stones and. 1745 under the direction of sir nicholas hawksmoor.

It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors but was also used to decorate church walls pulpits and bishop s thrones the name derives from the cosmati the leading family workshop of craftsmen in rome who. The wraps have come off one of westminster abbey s least known treasures a medieval marble pavement foretelling the end of the world while conservation experts consider how to preserve the. Oct 21 2012 explore alwyn ladell s board cosmati pavement followed by 257 people on pinterest. Dennis marsico encyclopædia britannica inc.

A medieval type of marble pavement known as cosmati covers the floor in front of westminster s high altar embedded with thousands of pieces of mosaic and porphyry that form an intricate design. It is made up from 92 759 tesserae. Medieval westminster floor tiles explores the most common type of medieval floor tiles found in london the westminster abbey. The great pavement in front of the high altar of westminster abbey is a unique and remarkable object.

Followed an earlier phase of lead glazed mosaic floor tile manufacture in the 1230s and 1240s. Legend relates that saberht the first christian king of the east saxons founded a church on a small island in the river thames then known as thorney but later called the west minster or monastery and that. Presents a holistic study of an outstanding group of monuments mosaic pavements tombs and shrines in their historical architectural and archaeological context.