Online - Motoring Mosaics!

Dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, it is thought that the decorative art of mosaics originated in the second half of the 3rd millennium BCE. Often originally depicting hunting, agricultural or mythological scenes, mosaics involve arranging small ‘tesserae’ made from glass, stone or ceramics to form patterns and pictures. 

In September 1916, the new Standard Motor Company factory at Canley was starting to take shape. The first buildings created on the site included the original Standard Motor Company's office building, known as Ivy Cottage. The tiled entrance hall of Ivy Cottage featured the Standard badge in mosaic form. When Ivy Cottage was demolished in 1995, this mosaic was salvaged and is the only part of Canley to survive. This example of a more modern mosaic now resides in the Museum’s collection.

Have a go at making your own mosaic. You might choose coloured paper or even building bricks as your tesserae and for inspiration, just take a look at this fantastic Land Rover mosaic which was created by one of our young HAF Club participants during the summer. Will you choose a logo or will your mosaic be of a car or even an abstract pattern?

Post a picture of your completed mosaic to our Facebook page - don’t forget to use the hashtag #ExploringBMM.