Materials & Techniques
Imperial Porphyry
Imperial Porphyry is the most important natural stone employed during the Roman Empire for sculpture, statues and sarcophaguses, for architectonic elements, ornamental carvings and inlays. It was a precious stone that embodied rich symbolic values, up to be identified with the imperial glory itself. It was the hardest rock known at the time, excavated from a huge lode, later abandoned, in a massif Romans called Mons Porphirytes, in Egypt. It has a dark red-purple base, dotted by white little inclusions. Roman Imperial Porphyry has been broadly reused during Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods, maintaining its status unaltered, up to our days. Having access to an important stock of raw material and to high skilled artisans who have experience in processing it, DCACC is pleased to support the collaboration with artists interested in the use of Imperial Porphyry for their projects.
Imperial Russian Rhodonite
Rhodonite is a natural stone firstly discovered in the 1790’s in the Ural Mountains of Russia near Sidelnikovo. It was used for ornamental carvings, massive inlays and beautiful and precious jewelry made famous by Czars and nobles. It became the national stone of Russia in 1913. The use of Rhodonite can be traced back its origins within the productions of the Russian Imperial Lapidary Work, founded in Peterhof in 1721. At present the Russian Rhodonite mines are exhausted. DCCAC is very pleased to have access to the last remaining stocks of the authentic Imperial Russian Rhodonite and to highly skilled artisans who can process this hard material. DCCAC is please to offer its support and its knowledges to artists interested in developing projects employing this rare material.
Agates
Agates are semiprecious silica minerals. Multicolor rocks composed of microcrystalline quartz chalcedony, arranged in concentrical bands. Agates frequently occur in cavities in eruptive rocks or ancient lavas. The wonderful color patterns and banding make these translucent gemstones very unique. Agates can have many distinctive styles and patterns, but each Agate is unique in its own habit, with no two Agates being the same. DCCAC offers unique opportunity to develop artistic projects which would explore the fascinating world of Agates in a contemporary way. DCCAC is very pleased to make available its rich and selected stocks of this astonish material and to support fruitful relationships between contemporary artists and the few existing artisans which still handling it.
Africano
Africano is one of the most distinctive, although one of the most variable, of the ornamental stones commonly used by the Romans. It is a breccia composed by multicolored marble fragments. Its origins have been unclear for long time, and it is still not completely clear. The most valuable hypothesis is that it derives from a mine rediscovered in 1966 in the lake Kara Göl, in Turkey, abandoned in 166 AD. DCCAC would like to stimulate artistic projects centered on the use of Africano marble, for its symbolic and historical values and for its quality and its characteristic look. DCCAC is pleased to make available its important stock of ancient Africano marble to artists interested in projects related to this marvelous material, contributing to develop fruitful relationships with high skill craftsmen specialized in marble works.
Belgian Black
Belgian Black refers to a marble stone known since the antiquity, quarried all-over the south west of Belgium. It is a limestone with a very fine and regular grain and high rate of purity in chemical composition, one of the most intriguing and mysterious stone for its special features. It is characterized by the scarcity of fossils and calcite veins that allowed its polished black perfect uniformity and incomparable smoothness, making it a valuable and unique material. DCCAC, having access to the only still existing quarry, is pleased to offer worth opportunities to artists which would develop contemporary art projects where Belgian Black plays a significant role. DCCAC, rich of its own experience and knowledge in the field of hard-stones, is please to make available its stocks of this marble and to stimulate interesting relationships between artists and the most skilled artisans which can handle it.
Micromosaic
Micromosaic is a precious technique of making mosaic by using minuscole enamel tiles applied to a metal, opaline glass or marble support, through an appropriate glue. This exceptional craftsmanship has been developed during the XVIII century in Rome, to decorate many kinds of objects, tobacco and jewelry cases, rings, bracelets, pendants, chokers, vases, mainly for the European nobles visiting Italy during their grand-tour travel. Viewing an artwork in micromosaic is a unique experience of intense visual effect and currently only a handful highly skilled artisans on a worldwide level have remained, to practice it. DCCAC offers unique opportunities to develop artistic projects which would explore the world of micromosaic, allowing artists to engage fruitful relationships with the few existing artisans still working this refined technique.
Cosmati
Cosmati or Cosmatesque refers to a geometric inlay, made of marble, glass and hard stones, used to decorate church floors and church walls, developed between the XII and XIV century, mainly in Rome and its surroundings. It is a highly refined technique where different and multicolor polygonal tiles are strictly assembled, side by side, following more or less complex patterns, such as the quincunx, where a central disc is surrounded by four angular discs, circumscribed by parallel and intersecting bands. DCCAC supports contemporary art projects which would intend to find their embodiment through the Cosmatesque handcraft skills, offering the unique opportunity to develop fruitful relationships between artists and the most experienced artisans still practicing this exceptional technique.
Pietra Dura
Pietre Dura or Pietre Dure refers to a method of inlaying multicolored marbles or semi-precious stones into a stone base. Derived from ancient Roman decorative stonework, opus sectile, the art of Pietre Dure was mainly developed in Renaissance Florence, where the manufacture of precious objects and ornaments, was sponsored by Medici Princes. Pietre Dure works represents an ideal fusion of art, science and nature. Handling this technique requires high skill and well trained craftsmen, DCCAC is pleased to offer unique opportunities to develop artistic projects where contemporary interpretations of Pietre Dure works play a significant role. DCCAC supports contemporary artists in developing fruitful relationships with the few existing artisans still working this precious and refined technique.
