Completed Areas (20%)
Early sections set the baseline for tile direction, spacing, and value control.
Mosaic Project
Empress Theodora
A 3 ft × 5 ft glass mosaic replica study based on Empress Theodora from the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, built tile-by-tile with 1cm tesserae.
Empress Theodora (c. 500–548 CE) was one of the most influential women of the Byzantine Empire and a rare example of female political authority in Late Antiquity. As co-ruler with Emperor Justinian I, she used her position to advance legal reforms that expanded protections for women—particularly those who were vulnerable or marginalized.
Under her influence, laws were enacted that strengthened women’s rights in marriage and divorce, prohibited the forced prostitution of young women, expanded property rights, and imposed harsher penalties for sexual violence. Theodora also established institutions to support former sex workers, providing shelter and alternatives in a society where few protections existed.
While operating within a patriarchal system, Theodora’s actions represent an early and significant assertion of women’s agency in governance. Her legacy endures not only in mosaic and stone, but in the legal and social precedents she helped set—making her portrait a powerful symbol of authority, resilience, and reform.
This page documents my Empress Theodora mosaic—an in-progress replica study based on the famous Theodora panel in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. I’m tracking layout decisions, color matching, and build milestones through completion.
Project details
Status: In progress ~20% complete
Format: Portrait
Size: 3 ft × 5 ft
Tile: Glass tesserae, 1 cm
Estimated tile count: ~20,000
Completed tiles (est.): ~4,000
Current focus: establishing consistent value shifts and clean edge rhythm while maintaining the mosaic “sparkle” across large areas.
Build Log
Progress
A running log of milestones, decisions, and progress images. I’ll update these cards as new sections are completed.
Detail & Rhythm
Tile flow is adjusted to support contours and maintain readable features at a distance.
Next Section
Next push will focus on clean transitions and steady value steps across the portrait.
Process
Materials & Method
The mosaic is built with 1cm glass tiles, placed to preserve crisp edges in the portrait while keeping a lively surface. With an estimated ~20,000 tiles, the project balances precision with long-run consistency.
1cm glass tesserae
3×5 ft portrait
~20,000 tiles
Progress pacing: ~20% complete so far (about ~4,000 tiles placed). As larger passages fill in, I’ll log decisions about value grouping, edge control, and surface rhythm.
Coming Up
Next Steps
Placement
Expand the portrait structure
Continue outward from completed areas, keeping tile direction consistent and transitions clean.
Flow
Edges
Value steps
Consistency
Lock spacing + alignment
Maintain uniform gaps and alignment so the surface reads evenly across the full 3×5 ft field.
Spacing
Grid discipline
Surface rhythm
Finishing
Grout + final presentation
Plan grout color tests, edge treatment, and final photography once tile placement is complete.
Grout tests
Edge finish
Photo