| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART90409 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Object type | Mosaic |
| Physical description | tesserae |
| Location | Main Bld: Commemorative Area: Hall of Memory |
| Maker |
Waller, Napier |
| Place made | Australia: Victoria |
| Date made | 1955-1958 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Hall of Memory: mosaics
Description
This record represents all tiles that are not part of pendentive figures of dome.
The walls and dome of the hall are lined with one of the largest mosaics in the world, also the work of Waller, unveiled in 1959. The mosaic inside the dome depicts the souls of the dead rising from the earth towards their spiritual home, represented by a glowing sun within the Southern Cross. The figures on the walls - a soldier, a sailor, an airman and a servicewoman - recall the Australian experience of the Second World War. Over six million pieces of glass tesserae, or tiles, imported from Italy, were used in the composition; the installation was overseen by Italian craftsmen and took three years to complete.