niello
noun
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.
nielli
-
pluralof niello.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He exhibited it at a meeting in London of the Archæological Institute, in November, 1882, where it was described as a “beautiful knife handle, decorated with nielli of Italian character.”
From Records of Woodhall Spa and Neighbourhood Historical, Anecdotal, Physiographical, and Archaeological, with Other Matter by James Conway Walter
After this came some original drawings of doubtful interest, and then a case of fifty-two nielli.
From Sketches and Studies in Italy and Greece, First Series by Horatio Robert Forbes Brown
The nielli have had a ground of blue enamel.
From The Shores of the Adriatic The Austrian Side, The Küstenlande, Istria, and Dalmatia by F. Hamilton (Frederick Hamilton) Jackson
The brass and nickel signs with black letters, which we find at the doors of business houses, are modern forms of nielli.
From What Philately Teaches A Lecture Delivered before the Section on Philately of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, February 24, 1899 by John N. Luff
The nielli represented castles, cities, and territories which were subject to the apostolic see.
From Pagan and Christian Rome by Rodolfo Amedeo Lanciani
