Ancient Venetian mosaics

The production of gold leaf glass mosaic has its roots in the history of the nineteenth-century furnace Angelo Orsoni, protagonist of some very important realizations.

Heinz Mack, The Sky Over Nine Columns, Venice, 2014. Photo Orsenigo Chemollo

Orsoni is a traditional Venetian producer of hand cut artisanal mosaics that uses the same traits since 1888, using lacquer an 24K golden leaf. Since 2003 is part of Trend group, combining Italian and American know-how.

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Heinz Mack, The Sky Over Nine Columns, Venice, 2014. Photo Orsenigo Chemollo

Heinz Mack, The Sky Over Nine Columns, Venice, 2014. Photo Orsenigo Chemollo

Norman Rockwell, Golden Rule, Dallas 1961

Orsoni, interiors, Trend group

Orsoni, mosaic-making process

Since its beginning in 1888, Orsoni is linked with very important creations, such as the mosaics used at the beginning of the XX century in the renovation of the San Marco Basilica in Venice, where it supplied more than 10,000 kgs of enamels and 1,000 ancient gold plates. Antoni Gaudí, after seeing the company’s “Colour Library” at the Universal Exhibition in Paris back in 1889, decided to use the mosaics in the construction of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.

Orsoni, Libreria dei colori, più di 3.000 diverse tonalità e sfumature di smalti — **Left:** Orsoni, Colour library, with over 3,000 different hues and lacquer tones.
**Top:** Heinz Mack, *The Sky Over Nine Columns*, Venice, 2014. Photo Orsenigo Chemollo

Gold 24K mosaic was also used for The Sky Over Nine Columns, the piece by German artist Heinz Mack, in collaboration with the Giorgio Cini Foundation: nine columns, seven meters high. Orsoni recreated the famous painting of Norman Rockwell representing the Golden Rule, now placed in Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square.

Ezio Frigerio, Stefano Pace, Francesca Fabbri, studio Akomena, Rudolf Nureyev’s Tomb, Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, 1993

On Rudolf Nureyev’s Tomb, more than twelve different colored gold hues, twenty red enamels, ocher and many other color varieties combine to replicate the beloved rug the dancer took with him on his tours. The rug was used to warm up before shows, and also reflects his nomadic life.

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Ancient Venetian mosaics

The production of gold leaf glass mosaic has its roots in the history of the nineteenth-century furnace Angelo Orsoni, protagonist of some very important realizations.

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