The board is enlighten by the vivid contrast of the black of the basanite and the colorful multitude of the other hardstones and it’s framed by an elegant meander alternating squares of malachite in the corners.
The technique is called “commesso”, it took inspiration from the roman opus sectile but it got its “golden age” during the Renaissance. It was particularly appreciated by the Medici family, who purposely founded the still existing “Opificio delle pietre dure”.

The hardstones: Alabaster (a pecorella, di Palombara, egiziano, fiorito), Basanite, Breccia (bruna, cenerina, coralline, dorata, pavonazza, verde di Sparta, di Sciro), Cottarello, Giallo Antico, Red Granite, Lumachella pavonazza, Malachite, Onyx, Porphyry, Rosso antico, Serpentello.