commesso

Commesso is an Italian term with two main meanings. In everyday usage it denotes a shop assistant or salesperson. The masculine form is commesso and the feminine form is commessa; plural forms are commessi and commesse. The word appears in expressions such as “il commesso del negozio” or “la commessa del banco,” and is commonly used in job titles and descriptions related to retail.

In the context of crafts and the decorative arts, commesso refers to a mosaic technique in which small pieces of colored marble, stone, glass, or ceramic are cut and inlaid into a base to form patterns or images. When marble is used, the method is often called commesso marmoreo. The practice has ancient roots and was revived and refined in Italy during the Renaissance and subsequent periods, with regional varieties such as Florentine and Venetian commesso. It is commonly employed for floors, tables, doors, and wall panels in historic buildings and in high-end decorative work, and is still produced by skilled artisans today.

The two usages—retail employment and a traditional inlay mosaic technique—are distinct but share the same word. In context, the meaning is usually clear from surrounding terms and the topic of discussion.