Small pieces used to make mosaics

How did artists make gold tesserae?

By sealing gold leaf between layers of glass

What happened during Byzantine iconoclasm?

Religious images were banned and destroyed

Byzantine Mosaics Quiz: Gold Tesserae, Ravenna and Hagia Sophia

Emperors, saints and Christ glow from golden walls in churches from Ravenna to Istanbul, and this Byzantine mosaics quiz explains how they were made. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on tesserae, gold leaf, San Vitale's Justinian and Theodora panels, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Hagia Sophia's Deesis, Christ Pantocrator, iconoclasm, the Chora Church and UNESCO listings.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Tesserae
What are tesserae?
Gold
How did artists make gold tesserae?
Angles
Why were tesserae set at slight angles?
Ravenna
In which Italian city is San Vitale?
Emperor
Which emperor appears in a San Vitale mosaic?
Deesis
Where is the famous Deesis mosaic?
Pantocrator
What does Christ Pantocrator mean?
Iconoclasm
What happened during Byzantine iconoclasm?
Chora
Which Istanbul church has famous late Byzantine mosaics?
Background
What did gold backgrounds often symbolize?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What are tesserae?
Answer: Small pieces used to make mosaics
They were made of glass and stone.
Q2: How did artists make gold tesserae?
Answer: By sealing gold leaf between layers of glass
The gold stayed protected.
Q3: Why were tesserae set at slight angles?
Answer: To catch and reflect light
Walls shimmered in candlelight.
Q4: In which Italian city is San Vitale?
Answer: Ravenna
It holds famous imperial panels.
Q5: Which emperor appears in a San Vitale mosaic?
Answer: Justinian
His wife Theodora faces him.
Q6: Where is the famous Deesis mosaic?
Answer: Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
It dates from the 13th century.
Q7: What does Christ Pantocrator mean?
Answer: Christ the ruler of all
It often fills domes.
Q8: What happened during Byzantine iconoclasm?
Answer: Religious images were banned and destroyed
It lasted on and off from 726 to 843.
Q9: Which Istanbul church has famous late Byzantine mosaics?
Answer: The Chora Church
It is also called Kariye.
Q10: What did gold backgrounds often symbolize?
Answer: Heavenly light
Figures seemed to float in glory.

Byzantine Mosaics Quiz – Gold Tesserae, Ravenna and Hagia Sophia

Byzantine mosaics were made from tesserae, small pieces of glass and stone. Gold tesserae had gold leaf sealed between layers of glass, and artists set pieces at slight angles so walls shimmered in candlelight. Gold backgrounds suggested heavenly light.

In Ravenna, San Vitale's sixth-century panels show Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, and Sant'Apollinare Nuovo has long processions of saints. In Istanbul, Hagia Sophia's Deesis mosaic and the Chora Church show the art's later refinement. Domes often show Christ Pantocrator, ruler of all.

During iconoclasm, from 726 to 843 on and off, many religious images were destroyed. Ravenna's early Christian monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What This Quiz Teaches

Art and history fans will enjoy these questions.

How mosaics were made
Why they shimmer
Where famous examples are
Who appears in them
What threatened them

Did You Know?

Venice's St Mark's Basilica has huge Byzantine-style mosaics.
Mosaicists worked from scaffolding on wet plaster.
Some mosaics were hidden under plaster for centuries.
Colors were chosen to read from far below.
Sicily's Monreale Cathedral also has famous mosaics.