Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It is a technique of decorative art or interior decoration. Most mosaics are made of small, flat, roughly square, pieces of stone or glass of different colors, known as tesserae; but mosaics, especially floor mosaics, may also be made of small rounded pieces of stone, and called "pebble mosaics".
Early mosaic art was made using coloured stones, shells and ivory; eventually glass pieces and glazed tiles made their way into the creations. Mosaics have developed into a popular craft and art. Modern-day mosaic artists use ceramics, shells, art glass, mirror, beads, and even odd items like doll parts, pearls, or photographs. While ancient mosaics were mostly architectural, modern mosaics are found covering everything from park benches and flowerpots to guitars and bicycles. Items can be as small as an earring or as large as a house.
