intarsia

American  

[in-tahr-see-uh] / ɪnˈtɑr si ə /

noun

1. an art or technique of decorating a surface with inlaid patterns, especially of wood mosaic, developed during the Renaissance.

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intarsia British  

/ ɪnˈtɑːsɪə /

noun

1. a decorative or pictorial mosaic of inlaid wood or sometimes ivory of a style developed in the Italian Renaissance and used esp on wooden wall panels

2. the art or practice of making such mosaics

3. (in knitting) an individually worked motif

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Other Word Forms

• intarsiate
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of intarsia

1860–65; alteration (influenced by Italian tarsia ) of Italian intarsio, derivative of intarsiare to inlay, equivalent to in- in- ² + tarsiare < Arabic tarṣīʿ an inlay, incrustation; see tarsia

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intarsia

The divo’s suits were mostly with shorts — sometimes silken, sometimes tweed with lurex threading, sometimes leather — with a loose jacket or perhaps an intarsia sweater.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2023

For accessories, Venturini Fendi marked 25 years of the brand's Baguette's bag by bringing back editions in cashmere, shearling-lined leather and intarsia mink.

From Reuters ● Feb. 23, 2022

Isabel Marant, Hermès and Jil Sander all received the comfy-core memo, with roomy knitwear crafted with graphic intarsia and abstract patterns in contrasting colours.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 28, 2021

The show covered 100 looks over 30 minutes, including full-length intarsia furs featuring images of the New York skyline and the American flag.

From Washington Post ● May 22, 2018

Plate 9.—Figure intarsia from the Sacristy of the Cathedral, Florence.

From Intarsia and Marquetry by F. Hamilton (Frederick Hamilton) Jackson

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