Feather Boa Mosaic is a dramatic glass mosaic rendition of Gustav Klimt’s 1909 Woman with Feather Boa, held by the Österreichische Gallery in Vienna. Made with glass mosaic in smalto di Murano, the piece measures 89.5 x 74.5cm and belongs to De Ferranti’s glass mosaic collection. The close-cropped Feather Boa detail focuses on the face, dark boa and sweeping hat, turning the image into a dense field of hand-set colour, shadow and reflected light.

Feather Boa Mosaic in Smalto di Murano

The expressive power of this Feather Boa Mosaic lies in the way the portrait emerges from darkness. Deep black and plum tesserae form the boa and background, while warmer peach, rose and ochre tones shape the face. Bands of blue, violet and copper move through the hat and surrounding detail, giving the surface a strong sense of direction. In smalto di Murano, colour does not sit flat. Each tessera has its own edge, angle and small tonal shift, so the face appears to change subtly as light moves across the surface.

Glass Tesserae, Portraiture and Surface Depth

This is not a printed reproduction. The Woman with the Feather Boa (detail) is rebuilt through mosaic, where the image is made from individual pieces of glass placed in relation to one another. As a Klimt glass mosaic and glass mosaic portrait, it depends on hand-set glass tesserae to create its painterly rhythm, especially around the eyes, cheeks and feathered form of the boa. The result is intimate but theatrical, with the material presence of a smalto di Murano mosaic giving the portrait a depth that suits Klimt’s world of ornament, costume and atmosphere.

Design Use and Related Materials

The Feather Boa Mosaic can be used as an art installation, feature wall, staircase detail, yacht interior panel or refined interior surface, subject to project suitability and installation guidance. As a decorative portrait mosaic and Murano smalti mosaic, it is most effective where image, surface and hand-worked glass need to carry the space. For related routes, explore Glass Mosaic, Micro Mosaics, the story of Valter Solari or Byzantine Mosaics.

Project Guidance and Enquiries

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