niello

enUK

niellosterling silver and niello shield-shaped shoe buckle

ni·el·lo

N0099700 (nē-ĕl′ō)n. pl. ni·el·li (-ĕl′ē) or ni·el·los 1. Any of several black metallic alloys of sulfur with copper, silver, or lead, used to fill an incised design on the surface of another metal.2. A surface or object decorated with one of these alloys.3. The art or process of ornamenting metal surfaces with one of these alloys.tr.v. ni·el·loed, ni·el·lo·ing, ni·el·los To decorate or inlay with niello.

[Italian, from Medieval Latin nigellum, from neuter of Latin nigellus, diminutive of niger, black; see nek^w-t- in Indo-European roots.]

ni·el′list n.

niello

(nɪˈɛləʊ) n, pl -li (-lɪ) or -los1. (Art Terms) a black compound of sulphur and silver, lead, or copper used to incise a design on a metal surface2. (Art Terms) the process of decorating surfaces with niello3. (Art Terms) a surface or object decorated with niellovb, -los, -loing or -loed (Art Terms) (tr) to decorate or treat with niello[C19: from Italian from Latin nigellus blackish, from niger black] niˈellist n

ni•el•lo

(niˈɛl oʊ)

n., pl. -el•li (-ˈɛl i)

v. -el•loed, -el•lo•ing. n. 1. a black metallic substance, consisting of silver, copper, lead, and sulfur, with which an incised design or ground is filled to create an ornamental effect on metal. 2. ornamental work so created. v.t. 3. to decorate with niello. [1810–20; < Italian] ni•el′list, n.

niello

Past participle: nielloed
Gerund: nielloing

Imperative
niello
niello

Present
I niello
you niello
he/she/it niellos
we niello
you niello
they niello

Preterite
I nielloed
you nielloed
he/she/it nielloed
we nielloed
you nielloed
they nielloed

Present Continuous
I am nielloing
you are nielloing
he/she/it is nielloing
we are nielloing
you are nielloing
they are nielloing

Present Perfect
I have nielloed
you have nielloed
he/she/it has nielloed
we have nielloed
you have nielloed
they have nielloed

Past Continuous
I was nielloing
you were nielloing
he/she/it was nielloing
we were nielloing
you were nielloing
they were nielloing

Past Perfect
I had nielloed
you had nielloed
he/she/it had nielloed
we had nielloed
you had nielloed
they had nielloed

Future
I will niello
you will niello
he/she/it will niello
we will niello
you will niello
they will niello

Future Perfect
I will have nielloed
you will have nielloed
he/she/it will have nielloed
we will have nielloed
you will have nielloed
they will have nielloed

Future Continuous
I will be nielloing
you will be nielloing
he/she/it will be nielloing
we will be nielloing
you will be nielloing
they will be nielloing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been nielloing
you have been nielloing
he/she/it has been nielloing
we have been nielloing
you have been nielloing
they have been nielloing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been nielloing
you will have been nielloing
he/she/it will have been nielloing
we will have been nielloing
you will have been nielloing
they will have been nielloing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been nielloing
you had been nielloing
he/she/it had been nielloing
we had been nielloing
you had been nielloing
they had been nielloing

Conditional
I would niello
you would niello
he/she/it would niello
we would niello
you would niello
they would niello

Past Conditional
I would have nielloed
you would have nielloed
he/she/it would have nielloed
we would have nielloed
you would have nielloed
they would have nielloed

Translations

niello

enUK

niello

(nēĕl`ō) [Ital. from Latin nigellus=blackish], black metallic alloy of sulfur, copper, silver, and usually lead, used as an inlay on engraved metal. The metal surface is brushed with a borax solution as a flux, dusted with powdered niello, then heated. After cooling, the surface is scraped and shows a black pattern in the incised lines. Pulling a paper proof of the design in order to make corrections before inlaying is said to have been the start of printing from an engraved plate. The Egyptians are credited with originating niello decoration, which was practiced in classical times, spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, and came into high repute in the 15th cent. with the work of the Florentine goldsmith FiniguerraFiniguerra, Maso or Tommaso
, 1426–64, Florentine goldsmith and engraver during the Renaissance. In the 1450s he joined with Antonio Pollaiuolo.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Niello

an alloy of silver, lead, sulfur, and other elements used to decorate metal articles, mainly of silver. The alloy, in powder form, is placed on the engraved surface of the metal; the object is fired, and then a black or dark gray pattern, firmly fixed to the base, appears on the object.

Niello on silver and other metals was used in antiquity. Thematic, landscape, and purely ornamental pictures were executed in niello on separate plates in Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries. Niello was used in Western Europe, India, and the Baltic region to decorate everyday objects (dishes, cutlery, boxes), weapons, and jewelry. Ornamental niello tracery was commonly used to decorate silver in the countries of the Middle East and the Caucasus. Russian craftsmen of the tenth to 13th centuries decorated silver pendants, bracelets, and lunulae with niello. The art was widely used by Russian craftsmen of the 15th and 16th centuries; niello was particularly popular in the 18th century in Velikii Ustiug (seeVELIKII USTIUG NIELLO WORK IN SILVER). Niello is currently widely used in Kubachi for artistic metalworking.

REFERENCES

Russkii khudozhestvennyi metall. Moscow, 1958.
Postnikova-Loseva, M. M., N. G. Platonova, and B. L. Ul’ianova. Russkoe chernevoe iskusstvo. Moscow, 1972.
Rosenberg, M. Geschichte der Goldschmiedekunst auf technischer Grundlage. Abteilung: Niello. Darmstadt, 1907.

niello

[nē′el·ō] (materials) Mixture of sulfides of copper, silver, and lead, with black metallic appearance; used in ornamental inlays engraved on metals such as silver.