See also:

• NIELLO (the Italian form of Lat. nigellum, diminutive of ?tiger, " black "; Late Gr. /IAAavbv)

NIELLO (the See also:

• ITALIAN

Italian See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of See also:

• LAT

Lat. nigellum, diminutive of ?See also:

• TIGER
• TIGER (Felis tigris)

tiger, " See also:

• BLACK
• BLACK, ADAM (1784-1874)
• BLACK, JEREMIAH SULLIVAN (1810–1883)
• BLACK, WILLIAM (1841-1898)

black "; See also:

• LATE

Late Gr. /IAAavbv)  , a method of producing delicate and See also:

• MINUTE
• MINUTE (Lat. minutes, small; minuere, to make less)

minute decoration on a polished See also:

• METAL
• METAL (through Fr. from Lat. metallum, mine, quarry, adapted from Gr. µATaXAov, in the same sense, probably connected with ,ueraAAdv, to search after, explore, µeTa, after, aAAos, other)

metal See also:

• SURFACE

surface by incised lines filled in with a See also:

• BLACK
• BLACK, ADAM (1784-1874)
• BLACK, JEREMIAH SULLIVAN (1810–1883)
• BLACK, WILLIAM (1841-1898)

black metallic See also:

• AMALGAM

amalgam . In some cases it is very difficult to distinguish See also:

• NIELLO (the Italian form of Lat. nigellum, diminutive of ?tiger, " black "; Late Gr. /IAAavbv)

niello from black See also:

• ENAMEL (formerly " amel," derived through the Fr. amail, emmll, esmail, from a Latin word smaltum, first found in a 9th-century life of Leo IV.)

enamel; but the black substance differs from true enamel in being metallic,not vitreous . Our knowledge of the See also:

• PROCESS

process and materials employed in niello-See also:

• WORK

work is derived mainly from four writers,—Eraclius the See also:

• ROMAN

Roman (a writer probably of the 1th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century), See also:

• THEOPHILUS

Theophilus the See also:

• MONK (O.Eng. munuc; this with the Teutonic forms, e.g. Du. monnik, Ger. Witch, and the Romanic, e.g. Fr. moine, Ital. monacho and Span. monje, are from the Lat. monachus, adaptedfrom Gr. µovaXos, one living alone, a solitary; Own, alone)
• MONK (or MONCK), GEORGE
• MONK, JAMES HENRY (1784-1856)
• MONK, MARIA (c. 1817—1850)

monk, who wrote in the 12th or 13th century,' and, in the 16th century, Benvenuto Celllini2 and Giorgio See also:

• VASARI, GIORGIO (1511-1571)

Vasari.' The See also:

• DESIGN (Fr. desiin, drawing; Lat. designare, to mark out)

design was cut with a See also:

• SHARP, GRANVILLE (1735-1813)
• SHARP, JAMES (1618-1679)
• SHARP, JOHN (1645-1714)
• SHARP, RICHARD (1759-1835)
• SHARP, WILLIAM (1749-1824)
• SHARP, WILLIAM (1856-1905)

sharp graving See also:

• TOOL (0. Eng. tdl, generally referred to a root seen in the Goth. taujan, to make, or in the English word " taw," to work or dress leather)

tool on the smooth surface of the metal, which was usually See also:

• SILVER

silver, but occasionally See also:

• GOLD
• GOLD [symbol Au, atomic weight 195.7(H = 1),197.2(0 =16)]

gold or even See also:

• BRONZE

bronze . An alloy was formed of two parts silver, one-third See also:

• COPPER (symbol Cu, atomic weight 63.1, H=1, or 63.6, O = 16)

copper and one-See also:

• SIXTH

sixth See also:

• LEAD
• LEAD (pronounced iced)

lead; to this mixture, while fluid in the crucible, powdered See also:

• SULPHUR

sulphur in excess was added; See also:

• ANTI, or CAMPA

anti the brittle amalgam, when See also:

• COLD (in O. Eng. cald and ceald, a word coming ultimately from a root cognate with the Lat. gelu, gelidus, and common in the Teutonic languages, which usually have two distinct forms for the substantive and the adjective, cf. Ger. Kolte, kalt, Dutch koude

cold, was finely pounded, and sealed up in large quills for future use . A See also:

• SOLUTION (from Lat. solvere, to loosen, dissolve)

solution of See also:

• BORAX (sodium pyroborate or sodium biborate)

borax to See also:

• ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

act as a See also:

• FLUX (Lat. fluxus, a flowing; this being also the meaning of the English term in medicine, &c.)

flux was brushed over the metal See also:

• PLATE

plate and thoroughly worked into its incised lines . The powdered amalgam was then shaken out of the quills on to the plate, so as to completely See also:

• COVER (from the Fr. convert, from couvrir, to cover, Lat. cooperire)

cover all the engraved See also:

• PATTERN

pattern . The plate was now carefully heated over a See also:

• CHARCOAL

charcoal See also:

• FIRE (in O. Eng. f j'r; the word is common to West German languages, cf. Dutch vuur, Ger. Feuer; the pre-Teutonic form is seen in Sanskrit pu, pavaka, and Gr. irup; the ultimate origin is usually taken to be a root meaning to purify, cf. Lat. purus)

fire, fresh amalgam being added, as the See also:

• POWDER (through O. Fr. puldre, modern poudre, from Lat. pulvis, pulveris, dust)

powder fused, upon any defective places . When the powder had become thoroughly liquid, so as to fill all the lines, the plate was allowed to cool, and the whole surface was scraped, so as to remove the superfluous niello, leaving only what had sunk into and filled up the engraved pattern . Last of all the nielloed plate was very highly polished, till it presented the See also:

• APPEARANCE (from Lat. apparere, to appear)

appearance of a smooth metal surface enriched with a delicate design in See also:

• FINE

fine See also:

• GREY, CHARLES GREY, 2ND EARL (1764-1845)
• GREY, HENRY GREY, 3RD EARL (1802-1894)
• GREY, LADY JANE (1537-1554)
• GREY, SIR EDWARD
• GREY, SIR GEORGE (1812–1898)

grey-black lines . This process was chiefly used for silver work, on See also:

• ACCOUNT
• ACCOUNT (through O. Fr. acont, Late Lat. comptum, cornputare, to calculate)

account of the vivid contrast between the whiteness of the silver and the darkness of the niello . As the slightest scratch upon the metal received the niello, and became a distinct black See also:

• LINE

line, See also:

• ORNAMENT (Lat. ornare, to adorn)

ornament of the most minute and refined description could easily be produced . The earliest specimens of niello belong to the Roman See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period .

Two fine examples are in the See also:

• BRITISH

British Museum . One is a bronze statuette of a Roman See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general, nearly 2 ft. high, found at See also:

• BARKING

Barking See also:

• HALL
• HALL (generally known as SCHWABISCH-HALL, tc distinguish it from the small town of Hall in Tirol and Bad-Hall, a health resort in Upper Austria)
• HALL (O.E. heall, a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Halle)
• HALL, BASIL (1788-1844)
• HALL, CARL CHRISTIAN (1812–1888)
• HALL, CHARLES FRANCIS (1821-1871)
• HALL, CHRISTOPHER NEWMAN (1816—19oz)
• HALL, EDWARD (c. 1498-1547)
• HALL, FITZEDWARD (1825-1901)
• HALL, ISAAC HOLLISTER (1837-1896)
• HALL, JAMES (1793–1868)
• HALL, JAMES (1811–1898)
• HALL, JOSEPH (1574-1656)
• HALL, MARSHALL (1790-1857)
• HALL, ROBERT (1764-1831)
• HALL, SAMUEL CARTER (5800-5889)
• HALL, SIR JAMES (1761-1832)
• HALL, WILLIAM EDWARD (1835-1894)

Hall in See also:

• SUFFOLK
• SUFFOLK, CHARLES BRANDON, 1ST DUKE OF (c. 1484–'545)
• SUFFOLK, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• SUFFOLK, THOMAS HOWARD, 1ST EARL OF (1561-1626)
• SUFFOLK, WILLIAM DE LA POLE

Suffolk . The See also:

• DRESS (from the Fr. dresser, to set out, arrange, formed from Lat. directus, arranged, dirigere, to direct, arrange)

dress and See also:

• ARMOUR, PHILIP DANFORTH (1832-1901)

armour have patterns partly inlaid in silver and partly in niello . The dark tint of the bronze rather prevents the niello from showing out distinctly . This statuette is apparently a work of the 1st century.4 The other example is not earlier than the 4th century . It is a silver See also:

• CASKET

casket or See also:

• LADY (0. Eng. hlaefdige, Mid. Eng. ldfdi, lavedi; the first part of the word is hldf, loaf, bread, as in the corresponding hldford, lord; the second part is usually taken to be from the root dig-, to knead, seen also in " dough "; the sense development fr

lady's See also:

• TOILET

toilet See also:

• BOX
• BOX (Gr. irl or, Lat. buxus, box-wood; cf. 2r6Eir, a pyx)

box, in which were found an See also:

• AMPULLA (either a diminutive of amphora, of from Lat. ambo, both, and olla, a pot)

ampulla and other small See also:

• OBJECTS

objects, enriched with niello-work.5 From Roman times till the end of the 16th century the See also:

• ART

art of working in niello seems to have been constantly practised in some See also:

• PART

part at least of See also:

• EUROPE

Europe, while in See also:

• RUSSIA
• RUSSIA (Rossiya)

Russia and See also:

• INDIA
• INDIA, FRENCH

India it has survived to the See also:

• PRESENT

present See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day . From the 6th to the 12th century a large number of massive and splendid See also:

• WORKS

works in the See also:

• PRECIOUS (O. Fr. precios, mod. precieux, Lat. pretiosus, of high value or price, pretium)

precious metals were produced at See also:

• BYZANTIUM

Byzantium or under See also:

• BYZANTINE

Byzantine See also:

• INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence, many of which were largely decorated with niello; the silver See also:

• DOME (Lat domus, house; Ital. duomo, cathedral)

dome of the baldacchino over the high See also:

• ALTAR (Lat. altare, from alias, high; some ancient etymological guesses are recorded by St Isidore of Seville in Etymologiae xv. 4)

altar of S . See also:

• SOPHIA (1630-1714)

Sophia was probably one of the most important of these . Niello is frequently mentioned in the inventories of the treasures belonging to the See also:

• GREAT

great basilicas of See also:

• ROME
• ROME (Roma)

Rome and Byzantium . The Pala d'Oro at S . See also:

• MARK
• MARK, CARL (1858– )
• MARK, GOSPEL OF ST
• MARK, ST

Mark's, See also:

• VENICE
• VENICE (continued)
• VENICE (Venezia)

Venice, loth century, owes much of its refined beauty to niello patterns in the See also:

• BORDERS, THE

borders . This art was also practised by Bernward, artist-See also:

• BISHOP (A.S. bisceop, from Lat. episcopus, Gr. irio-Korros, " overlooker " or " overseer ")
• BISHOP, ISABELLA (1832-1904)
• BISHOP, SIR HENRY ROWLEY (1786-1855)

bishop of See also:

• HILDESHEIM

Hildesheim (ob .

1(323); a fine silver See also:

• PATEN (through the Fr. from Lat. patina or paten, Gr. aaravq, a flat dish)

paten, decorated with figures in niello, attributed to his See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand, still exists among the many See also:

• RICH, BARNABE (c. 1540-1617)
• RICH, CLAUDIUS JAMES (1787-1821)
• RICH, JOHN (1692-1761)
• RICH, PENELOPE, LADY (c. 1562–1607)
• RICH, RICHARD, 1ST BARON RICH (1490?-1567)

rich treasures in the See also:

• CHURCH
• CHURCH (according to most authorities derived from the Gr. Kvpcaxov [&wµa], " the Lord's [house]," and common to many Teutonic, Slavonic and other languages under various forms—Scottish kirk, Ger. Kirche, Swed. kirka, Dan. kirke, Russ. tserkov, Buig. cerk
• CHURCH, FREDERICK EDWIN (1826-1900)
• CHURCH, GEORGE EARL (1835–1910)
• CHURCH, RICHARD WILLIAM (1815–189o)
• CHURCH, SIR RICHARD (1784–1873)

church of Han-over See also:

• PALACE (Lat. Palatium, the name given by Augustus to his residence on the Palatine Hill)

Palace . Other nielli, probably the work of the same bishop, are preserved in the See also:

• CATHEDRAL

cathedral of Hildesheim . In See also:

• FRANCE
• FRANCE, ANATOLE (1844– )

France, too, judging both from existing specimens of ecclesiastical plate and many records preserved in church -inventories, this mode of decoration must have been frequently applied all through the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle ages: especially fine examples once existed at Notre See also:

• DAME
• DAME (through the Fr. from Lat. domina, mistress, lady, the feminine of dominus, master, lord)

Dame, See also:

• PARIS
• PARIS (also called ALEXANDROS)
• PARIS, ALEXIS PAULIN (1800-x881)
• PARIS, BRUNO PAULIN GASTON (1839-1903)
• PARIS, FRANCOIS DE (169o-1727)
• PARIS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ALBERT
• PARIS, TREATIES OF (1814-1815)

Paris, and at See also:

• CLUNY, or CLUGNY

Cluny, where the columns of the See also:

• SANCTUARY (from the late Lat. sanctuarium, a sacred place)

sanctuary were covered with plates of silver in the r ith century, each plate being richly ornamented with designs in niello . Among the See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early See also:

• TEUTONIC
• TEUTONIC (GERMANIC) LANGUAGES

Teutonic and See also:

• CELTIC

Celtic races, especially from the 8th to the rrth centuries, both in See also:

• BRITAIN (Gr. Hperavuml vi7vot, Bperravia; Lat. Britannia, rarely Britannia)

Britain and other countries, niello was ' Div . Art . Sched. iii . 27-29 (see Hendrie's edition, 1847) . ' Trattato dell' oreficeria . ' Tre arti del disegno . 4 See See also:

• SOC

Soc . See also:

• ANT
• ANT (O. Eng. aemete, from Teutonic a, privative, and maitan, cut or bite off, i.e. " the biter off "; aemete in Middle English became differentiated in dialect use to (mete, then amte, and so ant, and also to emete, whence the synonym " emmet," now only u

Ant . See also:

• VET

Vet .

Mon. iv. pls. rr-rs . 6 See See also:

• VISCONTI

Visconti, Una Antica Argentaria (Rome, 1793) . frequently used to decorate the very beautiful See also:

• PERSONAL

personal ornaments of which so many specimens enrich the museums of Europe . The British Museum possesses a fine fibula of silver decorated with a See also:

• SIMPLE

simple pattern in niello and thin plates of repousse gold . This, though very similar in design to many fibulae from Scandinavia and Britain, was found in a See also:

• TOMB (Gr. Tuµ/3a, Tuµ(3os, probably allied to Lat. tumulus, literally a swelling, tumere, to swell)

tomb at See also:

• KERCH, or KERTCH

Kerch (Panticapaeum) . Several interesting gold rings of Saxon workmanship have been found at different times, on which the owner's name and ornamental patterns are formed in gold with a background of niello, One with the name of See also:

• ETHELWULF

Ethelwulf, See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king of Wessex (836–838), is now in the British Museum (see figure) . Another in the See also:

• VICTORIA
• VICTORIA (or VITTORIA), TOMMASSO LUDOVICO DA (C. I540-C. 1613)
• VICTORIA [ALEXANDRINA VICTORIA]

Victoria and See also:

• ALBERT
• ALBERT (1490'1545)
• ALBERT (149o-1568)
• ALBERT (1522–1557)
• ALBERT (FRANCIS CHARLES AUGUSTUS ALBERT EMMANUEL) (1819—1861)
• ALBERT (FRIEDRICH RUDOLF ALBRECHT)
• ALBERT, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS
• ALBERT, MADAME (c. 2805—2846)

Albert Museum has the name of Alhstan, who was bishop of See also:

• SHERBORNE

Sherborne from 823 to 867 . The metal-workers of See also:

• IRELAND
• IRELAND, CHURCH
• IRELAND, CHURCH OF
• IRELAND, JOHN (1761-1842)
• IRELAND, JOHN (1838- )
• IRELAND, WILLIAM HENRY (1777-1835)

Ireland, whose skill was quite unrivalled, practised largely the art of niello from _ the loth to the 12th century, and pos-Gold and Niello See also:

• RING (O.E. hring; a word common to Teutonic languages; and probably cognate with the Lat. circus, Gr. KtpKOS or KpLKOS, Skt'. chakra, wheel, circle, cf. also " harangue "); in art, a band of circular shape of varying sizes, made of any material and used f

Ring. sibly even earlier . Fine croziers, shrines, fibulae, and other objects of Irish workmanship, most skilfully enriched with elaborate niello-work, exist in considerable See also:

• NUMBERS, BOOK OF
• NUMBERS, PARTITION OF

numbers . From the 13th to the 16th century but little niello-work appears to have been produced in See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England . Two specimens have been found, one at Matlask, See also:

• NORFOLK
• NORFOLK, EARLS AND DUKES OF

Norfolk, and the other at See also:

• DEVIZES

Devizes, which from the See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character of the design appear to be See also:

• ENGLISH

English . They are both of gold, and seem to be the covering plates of small See also:

• PENDANT (through Fr. from Lat. pendere, to hang)

pendant reliquaries about 1 in. See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long, dating about the end of the 15th century .

One has a crucifix between St See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF

John the Baptist and a bishop; the other, that found at Devizes, has the two latter figures, but no crucifix.' It is, however, in See also:

• ITALY
• ITALY (Italia)

Italy that the art of niello-work was brought to greatest perfection . During the whole See also:

• MEDIEVAL

medieval period it was much used to decorate church plate, silver altar-frontals, and the like . The magnificent frontals of See also:

• PISTOIA
• PISTOIA, SYNOD OF

Pistoia cathedral and the See also:

• FLORENCE
• FLORENCE (Ital. Firenze, Lat. Florentia)

Florence See also:

• BAPTISTERY (Baptislerium, in the Greek Church 4wrurrilpiov)

baptistery are notable instances of this . During the 15th century, especially at Florence, the art of niello-work was practised by almost all the great artist-goldsmiths of that period . Apart from the beauty of the works they produced, this art had a See also:

• SPECIAL

special importance and See also:

• INTEREST

interest from its having led the way to the invention of See also:

• PRINTING (from Lat. imprimere, O. Fr. empreindre)

printing from engravings on metal plates (see LINE-See also:

• ENGRAVING

ENGRAVING) . Vasari's account of this invention, given in his lives of See also:

• POLLAIUOLO

Pollaiuolo and Maso See also:

• FINIGUERRA, MASO [i.e. TOMMASO] (1426-1464)

Finiguerra, is very interesting, but he is wrong in asserting that Maso was the first worker in niello who took proofs or impressions of his plates . An important work of this sort, described at length by Vasari and wrongly ascribed by him to Maso Finiguerra (q.v.), still exists in the See also:

• OPERA (Italian for " work ")

Opera del Duomo at Florence . It is a See also:

• PAX (Lat. for " peace ")

pax with a very rich and delicate niello picture of the See also:

• CORONATION (Lat. corona, crown)

coronation of the Virgin; the See also:

• COMPOSITION
• COMPOSITION (Lat. compositio, from componere, to put together)

composition is very full, and the work almost microscopic in minuteness; it was made in 1452 . Impressions from it are preserved in the British Museum, the Louvre and other collections . The British Museum possesses the finest existing example of 15th-century See also:

• GERMAN
• GERMAN, DUTCH AND SCANDINAVIAN

German niello . It is a silver See also:

• BEAKER (Scottish bicker, Lat. bicarium, Ger. Becher, a drinking-bowl)

beaker, covered with graceful See also:

• SCROLL

scroll-work, forming medallions, in which are figures of cupids employed in various occupations (see See also:

• SHAW, GEORGE BERNARD (1856– )
• SHAW, HENRY WHEELER (1818–1885)
• SHAW, LEMUEL (1781–1861)
• SHAW, RICHARD NORMAN (1831– )

Shaw's Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages, 1858, vol. ii.) . ' See Proc .

Norfolk Archaeo . Soc. iii. p . 97.1857); Bartsch, Le Peintre-graveur, xii' . 1-35; Rumohr, Untersuchung der Grande See also:

• FUR (connected with O. Fr. forre, a sheath or case; so " an outer covering ")

fur See also:

• DIE
• DIE (Fr. de, from Lat. datum, given)

die Annahme, &c . (See also:

• LEIPZIG

Leipzig, 1841); See also:

• LESSING, GOTTHOLD EPHRAIM (1729–1781)

Lessing, Collectaneen zur Literatur (vol. xii. art . " Niellum ") ; C . See also:

• DAVENPORT
• DAVENPORT, EDWARD LOOMIS (1816-1877)
• DAVENPORT, ROBERT (fl. 1623—1639)

Davenport, in See also:

• JOURNAL
• JOURNAL (through Fr. from late Lat. diurnalis, daily)

Journal of Soc. of Arts (1901), vol. xlviii . (J . H .