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Smalti

The most beautiful of all mosaic materials with an unmatched brilliance and range of colour enhanced by a slightly undulating surface.  Smalti are made according to a process developed by Byzantine craftsmen. They brought the skill to Venice in the 15th century when fleeing Constantinople after it fell to the Ottoman empire.   The technique remains the same; molten glass infused with metal oxides is flattened  so that it forms a 'pizza' which is then cooled slowly, and chopped by hand into smaller pieces.  

Smalti is fabulous stuff, but it is expensive.   You can dive straight in with stock from the best makers in the world, Orsoni of Venice and Donà of Spilimbergo. If you're not ready to invest in lots of colours straight away,  our random mixed bags from these makers allow you to experiment across a wide palette. 
Alternatively, you could try one of our vintage smalti mixes; these are smalti enjoying a second chance at life, often having been left over from major projects.  Their interesting provenances, unusual colour mixes and occasional non-standard sizes make them a really characterful (and cheaper) option.  
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