☝️GLOSSARY: TERMS TO REMEMBER

Faience

A type of glazed ceramic ware that originated in ancient Egypt; Made of powdered quartz and coated with a vitreous paste, it was an earthenware fired to a glass-like shine in almost all colors

Intarsia

The art of inlaying wood with various materials to create decorative patterns or images

Certosina

A decorative art technique of inlaying used widely in the Italian Renaissance period

Pietra Dura

A technique of inlaying highly polished, precisely cut, and often colorful stones into a hard surface to create decorative designs

Ormulo Mounts

A gilding technique where finely ground high-carat gold is applied to bronze or brass objects, giving them a luxurious golden appearance

Vernis Martin

A form of lacquer from the Martin Brothers that is applied in multiple layers to create a highly polished and durable finish reproducing the effect of Chinese lacquer

Premiere Partie Marquetry

A pattern of brass and pewter on a tortoiseshell ground

Contrepartie

A tortoiseshell pattern on a background of pewter and brass

Ébénistes du Roi

Cabinetmakers to the King; Skilled craftsmen who held prestigious positions in the royal court of France responsible for creating furniture and wooden decorative pieces for the French monarchy

Ebeniste

A guild system for craftsmen that refers to a maker of veneered furniture

Menuisier

A guild system for craftsmen that refers to a maker of solid wood furniture

Fondeur

A guild system for craftsmen that refers to a maker of metal mounts

Giseleur

A guild system for craftsmen that refers to a maker of bronze chasing

Vernisseur

A guild system for craftsmen that refers to a lacquerer

Marqueteur

A guild system for craftsmen that refers to a maker of marquetry panel

Sevres

A renowned French porcelain manufacturer celebrated for its exquisite and highly prized porcelain creations

Manchettes

Armrests or padded cushions designed to provide comfort and support for the arms while sitting

Verre églomisé

A decorative technique that involves applying gold or metal leaf to the reverse side of glass, resulting in a mirrored or reflective surface with designs or images visible through the glass

Fasces

Roman bundle of rods bound together around an ax, often with protruding blades or other decorative elements

Pier Glass

Also known as psyche; Glass or mirror designed to stand against a wall

Toile de Jouy

A type of decorative fabric characterized by its intricate pastoral or scenic patterns

Recueil de Décorations Intérieures

A seminal work in the field of interior decoration published by Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine and Charles Percier; Presents a collection of drawings, engravings, and detailed plans illustrating various architectural and interior decoration styles popular during the Neoclassical period

Torchères

Ornate stands or pedestals designed to hold torches or candles

Parchemin

A low-relief carving formed like a sheet of paper or piece of linen folded in half and then spread out to give an apearance of an opened book

Strapwork

Stylized representation in ornament of leather straps

Romayne Work

Decorative detail in which head, often in profile, were carved in medallions on architectural elements

Pargework

A decorative plasterwork technique which involves the creation of intricate patterns, motifs, or designs on ceilings, walls, and sometimes floors, using plaster or stucco

Enfilade

An ordered, axial arrangement of a succession of doors through a series of rooms

Quadratura

Technique of creating a three-dimensional illusions on a flat surface by painting architectural elements, landscapes, figures, and other motifs to appear as if they extend into or beyond the architectural space

Japanning

A decorative finishing technique that involves applying multiple layers of varnish or lacquer to wooden or metal surfaces to create a glossy, durable finish that resembles traditional Japanese lacquer work

Oysterwork

A decorative technique that involves the use of small, convex shell-like shapes, resembling oyster shells, to create intricate patterns and designs on walls, ceilings, furniture, and other surfaces

Carreaux d’octagones

A type of ceramic or stone tile that is shaped like an octagon, meaning it has eight sides and eight angles

Grissaile

Painting in which various tints and shades of one color gives the impression of a relief design

Lincrusta

A type of deeply embossed wallcovering made from a mixture of linseed oil, wood flour, and other materials

Anaglypta

Made from paper or vinyl material that features a range of raised patterns and textures, including floral, geometric, and abstract designs

Majolica

A type of pottery distinguished by its colorful glazes and intricate designs, typically featuring raised relief decoration

Daguerreotype

One of the earliest and most significant photographic processes in the history of photography

Sgraffito

A technique wherein you incise the designs onto the surface

Convention

A stylistic method to make everything standard to be approved as beautiful

Cire-Perdue

A bronze-casting method in which a figure is modeled in wax and covered with clay; the whole is fired, melting away the wax and hardening the clay, which then becomes a mold for molten metal

Formalized Art

These are the rules for the portrayal of the human figure

Trabeated Construction

A system of column and lintel used by the Egyptians

Corbelling

Arranging the courses of layers of stone so that each level projects over a stone

Entasis

A technique applied on columns which do not taper in a straight line, but bulge outward about one-third of the way from the base

Wattle and Dub

Process of weaving flexible sticks together to form a lattice which is then plastered with a mixture of mud, clay, and straw

Portrait Sculpture

These are sculptures that are non-idealized versions of people

Buon Fresco

Also known as Good or True Fresco; painting on wall plaster

Roman Fresco Technique

A technique which involves painting directly on a plaster wall

Fresco Secco

Also known as Dry Fresco; the technique of painting on dry plaster with pigments mixed in water

Grisaille

The use of all grey tones to create a sculptural effect on paintings, as shown on the bottom register of the altar piece

Ashlar Masonry

A type of stonework in which finely cut and precisely shaped stones are laid in regular courses or layers to form a wall or structure

Sfumato

A modeling technique which consisted of blurring sharp outline with subtle, tonal gradations, imparting a mysterious enigmatic quality, hinting at the subject's spiritual dimension

Figura Serpentinata

The S line in Mannerist paintings which translates to serpent

Pargework

Ornamental facing for plaster walls done on the ceiling while it is still wet