Opus Sectile Floor Tile - Late 19th Century

Opus sectile floor tile - late 19th century

Polychrome marble (white, yellow, red, pavonazzetto), green porphyry and red porphyry.
Wooden frame. Overall dimensions: 32.5 × 32.5 cm

This opus sectile floor tile is made up of marble fragments expertly cut and assembled to form a geometric design. A central circle, decorated with a radiating star motif, structures the composition.

The marbles used are most likely reused antique materials, a common practice in 19th-century workshops sensitive to the aesthetic and historical value of ancient stones.

Opus sectile, a stone marquetry technique prized in Roman Antiquity and then rediscovered during the Renaissance, was intended to adorn the floors and walls of prestigious buildings. This tile testifies to the permanence and adaptation of this decorative know-how through the centuries.

Our work is inspired by a tile at Villa Hadrian, an ancient villa built by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century near Rome (last photo).