inlay
(verb)
To place pieces of a foreign material within another material to form a decorative design.
Examples of inlay in the following topics:
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Architecture of the Mughal Period
- It boasts the use of the pietra dura technique, with marble and even stone inlay ornamentation in geometrical and arabesque patterns on the facade of the mausoleum, and jali or latticed stone carving decoration.
- At Agra, the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula, completed in 1628, was built entirely of white marble and decorated in elaborate pietra dura mosaic, an inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images.
- The interior decorations also feature inlay work of precious and semi-precious gemstones.
- However, the inner tomb features two cenotaphs, or false tombs, that are richly decorated with inlays of semi-precious stones forming vines and flowers and surrounded by jali screens, or latticed screens with ornamental patterns constructed through the use of calligraphy and geometry.
- This is an example of pietra dura inlay work and lattice carvings from the interior of the Taj Mahal.
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Art and Architecture of the Southwest Cultures
- Just as pottery from this period has received world-wide recognition, work inlaid with shell and turquoise from this period was noteworthy for its artistry and sophisticated inlay techniques.
- Their hallmark jewelry piece known as the squash blossom necklace first appeared in the 1880s; while turquoise had been part of jewelry for centuries, Navajo artists did not use inlay techniques to insert turquoise into silver designs until the late 19th century.
- Zuni artists are admired for their cluster work jewelry showcasing turquoise designs, as well as for their elaborate, pictorial stone inlay in silver.
- These works of art are commonly decorated with stone on stone mosaic inlay, channel inlay, cluster work, petite point, needle point, and natural cut or smoothed and polished cabochons fashioned from shells, coral, semi-precious gems, and precious gems; as with other art forms, blue or green turquoise is the most common and recognizable material used.
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Sculpture in the Greek Geometric Period
- The hollowed eye sockets of the figure of the man probably once held inlay for a more realistic appearance.
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The Southwest
- Turquoise, jet, and spiny oyster shell were traditionally used by Ancestral Pueblo for jewelry and sophisticated inlay.
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Art of the Persian Empire
- Indentations show where the bracelet once held enamel and stone inlay.
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Nayak Painting
- Renowned for their surface richness, vivid colors, compact composition, glittering gold foils overlaid on delicate but extensive gesso work, and inlay of glass beads or semi-precious gems, these paintings serve primarily as devotional icons.
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Tonga
- Tongan craftsmen were skilled at inlaying pearl-shell and ivory in wood, and Tongan war clubs were treasured items in the neighboring archipelago of Fiji .
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Islamic Art
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The East
- It made use of precious and semiprecious stones as inlay, not to mention vast quantities of white marble.
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Norse Ships in the Early European Middle Ages
- For instance, the Oseberg Bow demonstrates the Norse mastery of decorative wood carving and intricate inlay of metal.