Abaciscus redirects here. For the
moth genus, see Abaciscus (moth).Tessella redirects here. For the
moth genus, see Tessella (moth).1. A tessera (plural: tesserae, diminutive tessella) is an individual tile in a
mosaic, usually formed in the shape of a cube. Also known as an abaciscus, abaculus, or, in Persian کاشي معرق.In antiquity, mosaics were formed from naturally colored
pebbles, but by
200 BCE purpose-made tesserae were being used.
Marble or
limestone was cut into small cubes that were arranged into the design. Later, tesserae were made from colored glass, or clear glass backed with metal foils. The Byzantines used tesserae with
gold leaf, in which case the glass pieces were flatter, with two glass pieces sandwiching the gold. This produced a golden reflection emanating from in between the tesserae, causing a richer and more luminous effect.
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(pl. )
of Abaculus
PIASTRELLE DI VETRO, MARMO O ALTRO MATERIALE USATE PER FORMARE PAVIMENTI CON DISEGNO A MOSAICO