Turtles in Mosaic Art

4 min readSep 16, 2022

Aside from lovely and mysterious mermaids, one of the most present motifs when it comes to mosaic backsplash, pools, and floors are most definitely turtles. These peaceful sea creatures have been gracing public and private spaces around the world for centuries.

Mosaic artwork of a turtle under the bridge. Photo by Gjgk photography.

Turtle mosaic artworks are often referred to as nautical mosaics and I don’t really like that title. It makes that particular branch of mosaic art sound cold and closer to humans than it really is. Turtles are wild animals, but they are also terrific pets, and unlike some other wild species they tend to prosper if they get proper care and attention.

Colorful turtle mosaic sculpture by Passiflora. Image source: Link.

Gorgeous mosaic sea turtle by Mosaics Lab.

Turtles really are a mystery. Most people have no idea that they aren’t really some silent and timid creatures. I had the “pleasure” of once hearing a turtle hiss while I was collecting cep mushrooms in the forest. Needless to say, I ran like the wind, but the turtle probably just felt endangered by my size, as well as two left feet since I almost stepped on it.

Captivating turtle mosaic backsplash. Mosaic Artwork by Connie. Image source: Link.

Gorgeous mosaic detail from Turtle Alley in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. Photograph by Choo Yut Shing. Image source: Link.

All jokes and my silly little anecdote aside, turtles produce an array of noises. Depending on the species, turtles can cluck like chickens or even bark like dogs. Hey, better a cool-looking turtle than my neighbor’s angry one-eyed pitbull…

Fight between a turtle and a rooster mosaic artwork, Aquilela, Northern Italy; in the early Christian tradition, the rivalry between animals symbolized the fight between good and evil; in this case, the rooster represents daylight, while the turtle was considered to be a night animal. Image source: Link.

Vibrant mosaic art table featuring lively underwater scenery. Mosaic Artwork by Connie. Image source: Link.

One of the main reasons why turtles and mosaic art go so well together is they are both durable and long-lasting. Turtles evolved millions of years ago and they are one of the oldest groups of reptiles still in existence. As pets, some species can live anywhere from 10 to over 150 years. Mosaic art, on the other hand, is one of the oldest art forms in the world. Today we have mosaic artworks thousands of years old that have been preserved to this day to tell a story of our own history, as well as of art itself.

Lovely marble mosaic art by Mosaics Lab.

Marvelous mosaic artwork featuring some darker hues. Mosaic Artwork by Mazinka’s mosaics. Image source: Link.

If you are a fan of these wonderful creatures and mosaic art, don’t feel limited to water-related mosaics, such as mosaic backsplash or pool floors. Turtles are fit to embellish any space as well as mosaic art. If you want turtles mosaiced onto your table, go for it, if you want a full-scale turtle mosaic on your living room wall, go for it. The sky’s the limit when it comes to turtles and mosaics.*wink wink