pavement or wall decoration made of shaped tiles of coloured marble
literally “cut or snipped work†indicating a type of wall or floor mosaic consisting of slabs of stone cut into interlocking shapes
the tesserae are of various sizes but cut very carefully to form exact shapes, the shapes then fit together like a puzzle. Similiar to marble marquetry. ex. tiger assaulting a calf - coloured marbles - second quarter of 4th century AD Rome, Esquiline - Basilica Iunii Bassi opus signinum - mosaic detail
Opus sectile refers to an art technique popularized in Rome where materials were cut and inlaid into walls and floors to make a picture or pattern. Common materials were marble, mother of pearl, and glass. The materials were cut to thin places, polished, and then cut further according to the design.