niello
a black metallic substance, consisting of silver, copper, lead, and sulfur, with which an incised design or ground is filled to produce an ornamental effect on metal.
ornamental work so produced.
a specimen of such work.
a print on paper made from an incised metal plate before the application of niello and associated especially with 15th-century Italy.
to decorate by means of niello; treat with niello or by the niello process.
Origin of niello
1Other words from niello
- ni·el·list, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use niello in a sentence
The brass and nickel signs with black letters, which we find at the doors of business houses, are modern forms of nielli.
What Philately Teaches | John N. LuffAfter this came some original drawings of doubtful interest, and then a case of fifty-two nielli.
Sketches and Studies in Italy and Greece | John Addington Symonds
British Dictionary definitions for niello
/ (nɪˈɛləʊ) /
a black compound of sulphur and silver, lead, or copper used to incise a design on a metal surface
the process of decorating surfaces with niello
a surface or object decorated with niello
(tr) to decorate or treat with niello
Origin of niello
1Derived forms of niello
- niellist, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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