Cosmati

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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 glass mosaics set into stone matrices or encrusted upon stone surfaces. Bands, panels and shaped reserves of intricate mosaic alternate with contrasting bands, guilloches and simple geometric shapes of plain white marble. Pavements and revetments were executed in Cosmatesque technique, columns were inlaid with fillets and bands, and immovable church furnishings like cathedras and ambones were similarly treated. Initial inspiration for the technique was Byzantine, transmitted through Ravenna and Sicily, while some of the minutely-figured tiling patterns are Islamic in origin, transmitted through Sicily. In addition, members of the Cosmati engaged in commerce in ancient sculptures, some unearthed in the course of excavating for marbles for reuse. More than one ancient Roman sculpture has survived with the name of one of these craftsmen incised in it. The following are the main known Cosmati: Lorenzo (dated works 1190–1210 but probably active earlier) Jacopo (dated works 1205 and 1210) Cosimo (1210–1235) Luca (1221–1240) Jacopo (1213–1293) Deodato (1225–1303) Giovanni (1231 and 1235) The earliest recorded work was executed for a church at Fabieri in 1190 (Lorenzo) (CE). The principal works of the Cosmati in Rome are: ambones of Santa Maria in Aracoeli (Lorenzo) door at San Saba, 1205 door with mosaics at San Tommaso in Formis (Jacopo) Chapel of the Sancta Sanctorum by the Lateran (Cosimo) pavement of San Giacomo alla Lungara the magnificent episcopal throne and choir-screen in San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, of 1254 (probably Jacopo the younger) baldacchini of...