Byzantine Mosaic of the Empress Theodora

In a mosaic, small pieces of stone, glass or other material is embedded in mortar.  Want to make your own?  Here is a recipe using plaster of Paris as the mortar.  This recipe makes 5 mosaics.

Materials
2 cups plaster of Paris             5 aluminum pie plates
1 cup of water                           (8 inch diameter)
disposable mixing bowl             Items to embed in the mosaic 
plastic mixing spoon                 (shells, beans, tile, beads......)

Procedure
1.  Mix the water and plaster of Paris together in the mixing bowl.  The mixture should be smooth and creamy.
2.  Pour the plaster mixture into the aluminum pans.
3.  Let the mixture harden somewhat.
4.  While the mixture hardens, plan a design for the mosaic.
5.  When the mixture is fairly stiff, embed the items according to the plan.
6.  Let the mosaic harden for several hours.  Remove it from the pan.

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