AADDA TERMINOLOGY GUIDE

Welcome to the AADDA Terminology Guide page. The AADDA has adopted a terminology guide to provide assistance to both AADDA Members and Associates, as well as the general public, to promote accuracy in the use of specific terms and generally acceptable definitions of these terms used in the Art Deco and Art Nouveau Trade. This is not meant to be an exclusive list by any sense of the imagination and the AADDA strives to maintain updates to this list on an on-going basis. The AADDA solicits input from its Members at all times to insure that the terms and definitions contained within are current, accurate and meet acceptable trade standards. Members are encouraged to contribute on a regular basis for the knowledge and benefit of all in the Art Deco and Art Nouveau Trade.

Abstract - Art form in which the depiction of real objects in nature has been subordinated or entirely discarded, and whose aesthetic content is expressed in a formal pattern or structure of shapes, lines and colors.

Accent - Emphasis given to certain elements in a item or object, which makes them attract more attention and details that define an object or piece of art.

Achromatic - Art that is executed without color - ie…black, white and grey…

Acid cutting - A technique for decorating glass; objects were coated with an acid-resistant substance, such as wax. A design was then scratched engraved or cut in the wax, exposing the underlying glass, and the whole item dipped in acid, which fixes the design.

Aesthetic - Referring to the beautiful, as opposed to the useful, scientific, or emotional. An aesthetic response is an appreciation of such beauty.

After - Done in the style of a particular artist by other than that artist.

Agate - A form of quartz mineral with a strongly banded composition in which each layer differs in color and translucency. Colors range from reds, browns and yellows to greens, bluish white and white. Used for making jewelry, cameos, and in decorative objets d'art.

Alabaster - A form of the mineral gypsum, which can be polished to a smooth and waxy finish. Generally translucent and white or gray in color, Often used in sculpture, decorative bases and cabochons.

Anonymous Work - A work on the copies or records of which no natural person is identified as author.

Air Twist - A technique of producing a spiral pattern in the stem of a glass by stringing out an air bubble in the glass.

Alloy - A metal made up of a mixture of two or more different metals. Common examples of alloys include brass (copper and zinc), bronze (a mixture of copper and tin), and pewter (tin with antimony, copper and sometimes lead).

Amber - Formation of hardened and fossilized tree resin dating back millions of years ago. The largest source of amber comes from Northern Europe's Baltic Sea region. Used in jewelry making in Europe for ages, as well as a form of currency and even a medicinal stone.

Ammolite - Referring to the modern-day gemstone of ammonite. Considered the rarest gem by many in jewelry. The brilliant 70 million year-old mineralized fossil ammonite shell this gem comes from is unique to southern Alberta, Canada although Moroccan Ammonite is highly desirable. Appears similar to black opal, showing different color combinations when the stone is viewed from different angles. The most common colors range from yellows, oranges to reds and greens. The blues are more rare and hence more expensive.

Americana - All objects made in and for the American market prior to one hundred years ago.

Arcading - A series of arches usually supported on columns and used in various decorative applications.

Armature - A structure used beneath something else for support.

Art Deco - Derived from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, an exhibition held in Paris in 1925. Multiple influences are evident in the Art Deco style, which include of the century's most celebrated artists, designers and craftsmen. Art Deco style is like no other. Recognized for its use of seductive curves and multiple mediums, Art Deco has become one of today's most sought-after decorating styles embodying antecedents such as Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Cubism, Expressionism, Egyptian, Modernism, Jazz Style, and the great traditional masters. The actual term Art Deco wasn't coined until the 1960s.

Artist Mark - Also known as A/M. The known, recognized and accepted mark of the original artist.

Artist Proof - Also known as A/P. Prints outside the original production editions that are equal in quality to the edition and signed as Artist Proof or A/P. They are traditionally the property of the artist and usually limited to 10% of the edition.

Art Nouveau - This movement began around the 1880's and ended during the early 1900's. Art Nouveau was established as an art period at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, where it was introduced as the first new fresh style of the 20th Century. The Art Nouveau style appeared in the early 1880s as an international style of decoration and architecture and was gone by the eve of the First World War around 1915. A style of decoration characterized particularly by the depiction of leaves and flowers in flowing, sinuous lines.

Arts and Crafts Movement - Refers to art movement of the late 19th Century during which craftsmen, artists, designers and architects, aimed to raise the status of the applied arts to that of the fine arts, and committed to hand-crafting, as opposed to the growing machine-production method.

Assemblage - The technique of creating a sculpture by joining together individual pieces or segments, sometimes "found" objects that originally served another purpose.

Authenticity - Refers to the genuineness or legitimacy of an item. An item's undisputed credibility verified by professional reference sources.

Avant-garde - French for advanced guard. Also used to describe artists using innovative or experimental techniques.

Axis - The imaginary line used to align visual elements of an item or object and relate them in describing such.

Balance - An art design principle concerned with the arrangement of one or more elements in a work of art so that they appear symmetrical (even) or asymmetrical (uneven) in design and proportion.

Ball Foot - A spherical foot on some furniture, chests, tables, lamps, item bases, etc. Also called a bun foot in England and sometimes gripped by a claw.

Bakelite - One of the first plastics ever made. It was an inexpensive alternative to more natural materials, and proved to be an excellent insulator against heat and electricity. Used in household appliances, radios, phonograph records, cameras, billiard balls, serving trays, jewelry, figurines, etc…

Baluster - A turned and shaped column, which swells out in the lower half, that's often used in the stem of a table. When the swelling is in the upper half, it's known as an inverted baluster. Also used in multiple decorative art objects.

Base - The supporting bottom section of an item.

Base Metal - Referring to Non-precious metals used as a core for plating and filled items. A common metal, such as brass, copper or nickel, are common base metals.

Bas Relief - Sculpture in which figures project only slightly from a background, as on a coin. Also known as low relief sculpture.

Bevel - A surface or edge cut at an angle and commonly seen on glass, mirrors, marble and metal bases. When at 45 degrees, it's known as a chamfer.

Bisque - A French term for porcelain fired without a glaze. Also known as "biscuit ware."

Bon a Tirer - Also called BAT. A French term used to indicate the first good impression an artist approves as the standard for the edition.

Bone China - Porcelain made of clay (kaolin) mixed with bone ash.

Bronze - Generally an alloy of tin, zinc and mostly copper. A decorative medium long used in art - particularly sculpture - i.e.: "Bronzes." The term can be used to describe both an item that is "Solid Bronze" - suggesting a solid composition or a Bronze composition item, or which is not solid due to the founder process and item wall thickness, which may contain un-solid areas.

Bronze Plate / Wash - Generally an finish plate used to cover white-metal, spelter or alloy metal in art to produce the appearance of "Bronze." Typically Electro-Plated as an item accent in the production process.

Burl - Another name for burr, principally used in the US.

Cameo - A technique of engraving in relief on a gem, stone, or shell, especially one of different colored layers.

Cast - A process by which a mold is filled with a substance in liquid form, which hardens and acquires the shape of the mold. In casting bronze, often referred to as "Cira Purdue" or "Lost Wax" process. The shape is formed with wax and surrounded with liquid clay or a ceramic shell to produce a mold of the item. The mold, with a pouring hole on the top, is then heated to melt the wax. Hot, fluid bronze is then poured into the mold and allowed to cool - forming the item.

Cast - To form (molten metal, or liquid plaster or plastic, for example) into a three-dimensional shape by pouring into a mold; or something formed by this means. Also, an impression formed in a mold or matrix.

Carat - A unit of weight for precious stones, equal to 200 milligrams. Also a measure of pure gold on a scale of 1 to 24.

Casting Number - Refers to the Founder casting number found on items. Can indicate item number, mold number, casting number and in some case year of manufacture.

Chalk - Refers to a soft whitish calcite medium used in a variety of Art Deco and Art Nouveau compositions. Generally used as a casting medium for its ability to retain detail and is generally covered with enamel type or plating type finishes.

Chapter Ring - The outer ring on a clock face, usually circular, that carries the hours and minutes, and can be painted, engraved or attached.

Chasing - A technique of decorating metal (usually silver or pewter) by engraving or embossing, by using a blunt punch to create the design.

Collective Work(s) - a work, such as a periodical issue, anthology, or series, in which a number of contributions, constituting separate and independent works in themselves, are assembled into a collective whole or referring to the total works of a single artist.

Compilation - A work formed by the collection and assembling of preexisting materials, which are selected, coordinated, or arranged in such a way that the resulting work as a whole constitutes an original work of at. The term ''compilation'' includes collective works.

Contrast - Using opposites near or beside one another, such as a light object next to a dark object, a rough texture next to a smooth texture or different backgrounds VS foregrounds in a piece.

Copyright Owner - Owner of any one of the exclusive rights comprised in a copyright, refers to the owner of that particular right.

Czechoslovakian - Used to refer to original "Czech" or "End of Day" glass, which was hand blown and produced in Czechoslovakia and highly collectible. Usually stamped as such to indicate authenticity.

Chrome - Used to refer to chromium when it is used in dyes or pigments. It is a hard brittle blue-white multivalent metallic element; resistant to corrosion and tarnishing. Gained popularity in the Art Deco period with decorative items.

Chryselephantine - Originally referred to gold and ivory statuary as produced by the ancient Greeks. Such items became the "Crown Jewels" of the Art Deco Period through the works of Chiparus and other artist. The combination of a decorative metal and ivory used in the production of an item. Typically used to identify and describe bronze and ivory statues.

Circa - Refers to specific production or original manufacturing date of an item. Ex: Circa - "C" placed in front of a date, means that the item can be dated to ten years either side of that date.

Classical Style - Referring to the likeness of or style of "Greek art." Loosely, the term "classical" is often applied to all the art of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as to any art based on logical, rational principles and deliberate composition.

Cobalt Blue - A blue pigment consisting of a variable mixture of cobalt and aluminum oxides, used for producing blue-and-white early porcelain. Color that would withstand the high firing temperatures.

Cold-Cast - A production process which involves the combining of metal powders and multiple fill materials such as resin, which is poured into meticulously crafted molds. Many cast include the addition of other fine materials such as bronze and pewter, which are added to the item. Ie.. cold-cast bronze, etc…

Collectable - Refers to an object that gains value because of its associations. Usually associated with desired items whose age - less than 100 Years - falls short of "Antique" class.

Composition - Refers to the organization, design or placement of the individual elements in a work of art. The aim is to achieve balance and proportionality. Usually applied to two-dimensional art. Also refers to the material content of an item. Also used to refer to specific type of collectable dolls in America.

Condition - A designation of the actual current state of an item.

Conture (Contour) - A line that creates a boundary, separating an area of space or object from the space around it.

Converging - Lines that go towards the same point.

Copyright Mark - The mark assigned to original items and reissued items indicating that the item is protected by US Copyright / Patient Laws protecting the works of a particular artist or founder.

Crackle - A network of fine cracks on the surface of glazed pottery, china, glassware, lamp globes, etc…caused by differing expansion and contraction rates of the material. When done on purpose, it's known as Crackleware, Crackle Globe, etc….

Cracks - These are cracks, which are normally visible to the naked eye. These cracks are clearly visible on the item and are likely not a result of the manufacturing process. Typically the result of blunt force, striking against or dropping an item.

Craftsmanship - Aptitude, skill, and manual dexterity in the use of tools and materials. Generally used to reference a high quality of finished work.

Cubism - A style of art pioneered in the early 20th century by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. In the most developed form of Cubism, forms are fragmented into planes or geometric facets. Reality forms may be viewed from several vantage-points and both figures and background have equal importance. Typically, colors used in this art form are deliberately restricted to a range of neutrals.

Cut Glass - Any glass whose surface has been cut into facets, grooves and depressions aided by a large, rotating wheel.

Depression - Refers to a recessed area of an items surface. Also used to refer to the "Depression Era" - time frame associated with the "Great Depression," i.e.… "Depression glass."

Copyright Owner - Owner of any one of the exclusive rights comprised in a copyright, refers to the owner of that particular right.

Domed Top - A term properly applied to a three-dimensional vault, but it also refers to the arched top of an item.

Dominance - The principle of visual organization, which suggests that certain elements, should assume more importance than others, in the same composition. It contributes to the organic unity and description of an item by emphasizing the fact that there is one main feature and that other elements are subordinate to it.

Doré - The name given to a very soft and beautiful gold finish put on statues and other Art Deco or Art Nouveau objects. Achieved by a suspension and heating process during which unwanted materials are burned off leaving a gold finish.

Dovetail - A fan-shaped carpenters or artist joint formed by interlocking one or a row of such joints, seen especially furniture.

Dynamic - Giving an effect of movement, vitality, or energy.

Earthenware - Ware made from a variety of coarse, porous, baked clays, such as dishes, pots and tableware.

Eclectic - A style described as selecting or choosing what is considered to be the best from various mediums and materials. Consisting of, or made up of influencing sources or systems; as, an eclectic artist.

Edition - Refers to the number of pieces or items produced from an original in an identified set. In bronze sculpture and printmaking, the number of pieces/images made from a single mold/plate and authorized by the artist.

Electroplate - Developed around 1840 - 1850. A process of plating metal using an electro-chemical process generating a magnetic field, whereby a base metal is covered with a thin layer of another metal.

Emboss - To mould or carve a design or pattern, in relief, by hammering and punching the surface of metal, paper, leather etc.

Elements - Basic visual aspects found in the work of art, such as lines, shape, form, space, point, light, motion, direction, scale, dimension, texture and color. Also refers to the composition components.

Emphasis - making one part important or one aspect stand out through contrast, size, texture, placement, Etc…

Ephemera - Refers to anything short-lived or transitory. Includes anything that was produced-whether in 1720 or 1920-that was not meant to last. Broadly applied term.

Epreuve d'Artiste - French term meaning "approved by the artist. " Abbreviated as "E.A.", it means the same as artist's proof.

Enamels - Types of hard paints used to decorate a variety of Art Deco items. Typically Porcelain, Pottery and metal alloys in the application of a finish.

Engraving - A technique of print engraving and decoration applied by the use of a hard steel needle to incise lines in the metal plate.

Escapement - A regulating mechanism in a clock which consist of an escape wheel and anchor that provides periodic energy impulses to a pendulum or balance.

Etching - The technique of reproducing a design by coating a metal plate with wax and drawing with a sharp instrument called a stylus through the wax down to the metal. The plate is put in an acid bath, which eats away the incised lines; it is then heated to dissolve the wax and finally inked and printed on paper. The resulting print is called the etching. Also refers to a design produced on metal items or objects using a sharp instrument.

Expressionism - Any art that stresses the artist's emotional and psychological reaction to subject matter, often with bold colors and distortions of form. Specifically, an art style of the early 20th century followed principally by certain German artists.

Fabrication - Terms used by metals founders or casters to indicate work made by hand. It differentiates work made by CASTING.

Fake - Also known as a "Forgery." An object or item, which has been modified in order to mislead and pass the object off as genuine or original item or something it isn't.

Faux - A French word meaning 'fake' or 'false'. It is often used to describe beads resembling pearls that have no actual pearl content but it is sometimes used in low-cost jewelry for glass stones emulating genuine gemstones.

Figurine - An artist produced figure. Typically referencing figures contained in items.

Fine Art - An art form created primarily as an aesthetic expression to be enjoyed for its own sake.

Finial - Any ornamental part of an object that is placed at the tip or end of an arm. A knob or spire-like ornamental projection finishing off an upright member, pediment or any vertical projection. Commonly used in a number of forms, from architectural forms like columns, to animals and human figures, decorative art items such as lamps, Etc….

Forging - A hammering process to shape soft metals.

Form - An element of art, such as you would see in a sculpture that has three dimensions.

Founder's Mark - Also known as F/M. The known, recognized and accepted mark of the original production founder or foundry that produced the artist work.

French Ivory - Synthetic ivory. An artificial plastic produced to imitate ivory first produced by the Xylonite Company in 1866. Other names include Celluloid, Ivoride, Ivorine, Ivorite and Pyralin.

Frosted - Refers to the "roughened" surface of an item, which appears "frosted." Ie., "frosted glass."

Futurism - Art movement founded in Italy in 1909 and lasting only a few years. Futurism concentrated on the dynamic quality of modern technological life, emphasizing speed and movement.

Garniture - A matching three piece set of clock and two vases or candelabra, made for the mantle shelf.

Glaze - The smooth shiny coating fired on to earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, etc…, that produces a colored, opaque or transparent finish. Is also used to refer to a transparent coating applied to the surface of a painting, furniture or decorative item.

Globe - Refers to the spherical shape of an object. Also used to identify a covering for lighting items "Lamp Globe," or actual globe of an area or planet.

Gold - A yellow colored, soft, shiny metal commonly used in jewelry and decorative items. Pure gold, 100% gold, 24 karat gold that is at least 99.5% pure as it comes from the refinery.

Gold Alloy - For use in jewelry, pure gold is usually alloyed with other metals such as copper, nickel, silver, or zinc to add strength. The metals used in the alloy also effect a change in the color. The purity of the resulting product is expressed in KARATS.

Gold Electroplate - An electrolytic process in which fine gold is deposited onto a metal base.

Gold Filled - A layering process in which, gold is permanently bonded by heat and pressure. Generally means an object or item on which 14K gold has been bonded to the base metal core.

Gold Overlay- Same as Gold Filled.

Gold Plate - Often confused with gold electroplate. It is another term for Gold Filled.

Gothic - A style of architecture with pointed arches, steep roofs, windows large in proportion to the wall spaces, and, generally, great height in proportion to the other dimensions -- prevalent in Western Europe from about 1200 to 1475. (Gothic Revival - Attributing to movement to revive or incorporate the "gothic style" into art nouveau and art deco.)

Guild - Refers to a cover or finish applied to an item by using a thin layer of Gold Foil. Also used to refer to a natural finish - i.e.: wood, marble, Etc…

Guilt - Refers to a satin finish or texture - typical in Art Nouveau / Art Deco Guilt Gold and Guilt Bronze - but can be found in other mediums as well.

Hallmark - A mark used to stamp precious metals, or decorative items to indicate standards of purity. Such stamps provide specific information regarding artist or founder, date of production and locality of an item.

Hairline Cracks - These are very fine cracks, which are not normally visible to the naked eye, but are seen under an eyeglass. These cracks may be a result of the manufacturing process or appear as the result of material shrinkage, expansion, age or use.

Hand Blown - Refers to the manufacturing process or craftsmanship method during which hot glass to hand blown through a blowing rod and shaped as desired. Most often associated with European i.e. Czechoslovakian or Italian glass.

Harlequin - Refers to a figure or figurine of the Harlequin characters. Generally, were masked predecessor to clowns of today and originally appeared as one of the most popular white-faced theatrical entertainers.

Harmony - The unity of all the visual elements of a composition achieved by repetition of the same characteristics.

Hue - Describes and defines color. The perceived color of an object, identified by a common name such as red, orange, blue.

Impressed Mark - A mark such as a manufacturers mark, logo, design or initials stamped into the composition material prior to the completion of the item or object.

Inlay - Refers to decorative patterns or figural designs created with pieces of different colored woods, ivory, bone, shell, brass, and other mediums, which have been set into cut out sections of the item base. Pieces of precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum, ivory, are used in the stock as decoration and embellishment.

Intensity - The brightness, or the dullness of a color or the degree of expressionism by an artist. The degree of purity or brilliance of a color. Also known as "chroma" or "saturation" of a color.

Ivorine - Simulated Ivory produced from poly-materials and may contain Ivory dust.

Ivory - Ivory from Elephant Tusk.

Jade Glass - Refers to glass, which is translucent green glass that is designed to imitate jade. Period items are now being mass reproduced so caution is in order regarding authenticity.

Jadeite - Refers to the harder of the two varieties of Jade. Jadeite is harder (compared to nephrite) and is usually used in jewelry production. Jadeite is also used to describe an item in the "Jadeite Color" and shou

ld not be confused. Period "Jadeite" items are now being mass reproduced so caution is in order regarding authenticity.

Japanning - Term used for European techniques to imitate designs from the Far East.

Joint Work - A work prepared by two or more authors with the intention that their contributions be merged into inseparable or interdependent parts of a unitary whole.

Lacquer - Made from the sap of the lac tree, which turns hard and black on exposure to air and sunlight. Applied in successive layers, lacquer is used as a ground for Chinese or Japanese decoration, usually of figures in landscapes etc. More rarely, dyes were mixed with the sap to produce various colors. It can also be carved, and polished, and layers of differing colors, carved and etched, were often used to great effect. Also refers to clear type finish applied to gain luster as well as a hard protective coating for multiple decorative items.

Lamp / Lighting - Refers to lighting items - specifically lamps (radio / accent / table, etc) or other lighting fixtures produced in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods.

Lead Crystal - A type of glass whose ingredients include lead oxide, making it softer to cut and engrave, and giving it a black tinge when held up to the light.

Logo - A name, symbol, or trademark designed for easy and definite recognition.

Lost Wax - A method of casting bronze sculpture using a rubberized mold from the artist casting. The mold is then filled with wax, allowed to cool and then the mold is pulled off leaving an exact rendition of the model in wax. This wax rendition is then covered with a sand-like material until successive layers produce a heat tolerant ceramic shell. Then the shell with the wax print inside is heated, the wax is melted out (thus, the lost wax process) and the molten bronze can be poured in. After the bronze has cooled, the shell is chipped away and the sculpture is then sand blasted and hand finished to its ultimate perfection. The lost wax process is considered the highest quality method of producing limited edition bronze sculpture.

Lustre - A metallic, sometimes iridescent, form of decoration.

Maquette - A small clay or wax example for a large sculpture, or a sketch model for sculpture or stained glass windows.

Marquetry - Inlaid decoration of variously colored veneers or insets in wood, ivory, marble, etc…Used mainly in the design and production of furniture.

Materials - Refers to what items or objects are made of.

Matte Finish - A muted surface finish achieved in a variety of ways such as sandblasting.

Memorabilia - Refers to things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance or things that are collected because of association and recollection.

Millefiori - A type of glassware in which multi-colored glass pieces are put in rosette or floral designs and embedded in clear glass. The word literally means "a thousand flowers" in Italian.

Minstrel - Refers to a figure or figurine depicting a jongleur, or troubadour - a singer or performer in a minstrel show. Popularized during both Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods in multiple mediums and items.

Mixed Media - Generally, when an artist has used more than one medium in creating the work.

Mosaic - A decorative technique in which square or rectangular pieces of stone, glass, ceramic tile are set in mortar in and artistic motif. Tiny mosaics are referred to as micromosaics.

Mother-of-pearl - A term used to reference the hard, iridescent inner lining of certain mollusk shells such as oyster and mussel. Used as a decorative inlay in furniture and objets d'art.

Multi-Tiered - Refers to a base or platform of an item, which contains more than two steps upon which the item sits.

Naturalistic - Descriptive of an artwork that closely resembles forms in the natural world. Synonymous with representational.

Nude - Refers to the state of a figurine or statue type figure, which is not clothed.

Neo-Classical - An art style developed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A revival type style inspired by the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. The style is characterized by order, symmetry and simplicity.

Nephrite - Often called "greenstone" it is a creamy greenish colored mineral often used by Faberge.

Organic - Shapes that are not regular or even, using a combination of edges that are curved or angular.

Original - Used to reference the condition of an item in relation to the item's condition in original production. Used to covey that an item is in its original condition.

Original Finish - Refers to the original protective coating added to an item or object that has not been altered in any way. An original finish is considered one of a collector's prize possessions

Ormolu - Originally gold or gold leaf used for gilding furniture handles and mounts. Later used several gold colored copper and tin or zinc alloys resembling gold in appearance - used to decorate furniture, moldings, ornaments, decorative household items, fine art and jewelry.

Oyster - Veneers cut across the grain of small branches of trees such as walnut, sycamore, olive and laburnum, and laid decoratively in multiple decorative items. Also refers to the color and swirl pattern found in oyster shells - iridescent.

Palette - The group of colors used in a particular style or by a particular founder, actory or decorator.

Patina - Generally refers to any single antique color applied to an object. But, usually refers to the conversion of a bronze or copper surface by the use of various acid chemicals and heat in the application of the original finish. Is also used to refer to the natural coloring affect appearing on these surfaces as they age within a particular environment.

Pearlite - Refers to a Lamellar compound resembling mother of pearl.

Period - Refers to apiece made at the time when its style first originated.

Perspective - The representation of three-dimensional objects on a flat surface so as to produce the same impression of distance and relative size as that received by the human eye.

Platinum - A silver-white, dense and strong metal. It is used in nearly its pure state in jewelry, and is alloyed with metals of the same group in use in decorative items. Favored for its strength.

Polychromatic - Having many colors, as opposed to monochromatic which means only one hue or color.

Polychrome - Usually refers to the finish on an item involving multi-color paint, patina or a process of Electro-Plating using mixed mediums to achieve multiple finishes.

Precious Metals - A term covering metals that are extremely resistant to corrosion by most means. The precious metals group includes gold, silver and platinum.

Precious Gemstones - A term commonly applied to the 'big three' of the colored gemstone world: ruby, sapphire and emerald. It is a multi use term however, and can refer to any desired or collectible stone / gem.

Proportion - Size relationships between parts of a whole, or between two or more objects perceived as a unit.

Provenance - Refers to an object's history. Identifies who owned the object, when it was owned and where. Considered in the collectibles trade to be a "Deed" for an item.

Realism - Any art in which the goal is to portray forms in the natural world in a highly representational manner. Specifically, a 19th century art style, which fostered the idea that everyday people and events are worthy subjects for important art.

Relief - Refers to decoration that protrudes from the surface of an item or object. Also used to refer to sculpture in which figures or other images are attached to a flat background but project out from it to some degree.

Repetition - when objects, shapes, space, light, direction, lines etc. are repeated in artwork.

Reproduction - A copy of an original art item or object, and advertised as a copy.

Retro - A contemporary retrospective view, which reinterprets some of the best-loved looks from the 1930's to 1980's.

Rhythm - When the regular repetition of particular forms or elements occurs in a work of art, that work is said to have rhythm or "motion."

Scalloped - A term used to describe decoration composed of a series of concave depressions, resembling a scallop shell, with a lobed or foiled edge. Mostly used on the rims of silver and earthenware vessels, it also applies to any shell-like decoration or ornament.

Sculpture - A figurative or abstract design producing in stone, wood, clay, casting metal, glass or similar processes producing three dimensional representations of natural or imagined forms - including sculpture in the round, which can be viewed from any direction, as well as incised relief, in which the lines are cut into a flat surface. A three-dimensional form modeled, carved, or assembled. I.e. Bronze Sculpture.

Semi-Nude - Refers to the state of a figurine or statue type figure, which is partially clothed.

Signed - Refers to the presence of the original artist signature on an item.

Silver - A white colored, soft, shiny metal, commonly used in jewelry and fine decorative items. Silver is available in different levels of purity: the purest form, FINE silver, is 99.9% silver.

Simulants - Refers to materials used in the production of an item that attempts to look like something else.

Simulated - A substance meant to look like another.

Solid Bronze - An item produced exclusively of Bronze as the composition metal in a solid cast item. The term can be used to describe an item, which is "solid bronze."

Spelter - Refers to item composition produced from Zinc and or combination of metal alloys in the manufacturing process.

Spinel - Gemstone, which occurs in a variety of colors including deep reds, blues and greens.

Sterling Silver - Silver measure on a scale of 1000 parts. Sterling is 925 parts silver, 75 parts alloy. Also see SILVER.

"Style" - Refers to the "Style" of _______. Used to provide an art style description. Implies that a tem is in the style of a particular artist, founder or art movement. In no way implies that the item is an original of the artist, founder or period item and should not be confused with such. Can also be used to describe the style of unverifiable or reproduction / modern issues of an item.

Symbol - A picture or image that tells a story or relates significant events without using words.

Symmetry - When one side of something balances out the other side or a total work of art balances on all sides.

Synthetic - A term largely out of use that actually means a material that has been made in a laboratory but which is the same as the material it emulates. It has come to be confused with imitation.

Texture - Surface presentation, feel or appearance of an artwork. The surface of an item that has been enhanced through multiple means during the manufacturing process - such as chasing, engraving, sandblasting, etc… regarding metal items.

Translucent - Allowing some light to pass through, objects seen through translucent material are diffused or indistinct.

Transparent - Easily seen through, allowing light to pass through without obscuring the ability to see objects on the other side.

Term - Refers to a pedestal or pilaster tapered to its base, culminating in a human figure, which is often an armless torso and head.

Tiered - Refers to a stepped base or platform of an item containing at least one step or elevation.

Unity - A feeling of completeness created by the use of elements in the artwork.

Vaseline Glass - Refers to a form of glass popularized during the latter part of the 19th century. The glass, containing uranium was made with heat sensitive chemicals which turned milky white when reheated, producing a shading effect from yellow to milky white at the edges. Resembling a finish, which suggests that Vaseline Ointment had been applied to the surface. Also used in European designations to indicate any kind of creamy yellow glass shading to white, a coloring which resembles "Vaseline Ointment" as it used to be.

Vintage - An item which is 100 years old and is collected or desirable due to rarity, condition, utility, or some other unique feature.

Wash - Used in watercolor painting, brush drawing, and occasionally in oil painting and sculpture to describe a broad thin layer of diluted pigment, ink, glaze or patina. Also refers to a drawing made in this technique.

Watermark - A translucent design, a pattern or date, impressed on paper during manufacture and visible when the finished paper is held up to the light. Can also be a useful dating reference guide.

Whitemetal - Refers to the composition content of items manufactured using this metal alloy. Used primarily as a replacement medium due to its relative lower cost and lower melting point in the item manufacturing process.

Xylonite - Made to simulate wood, this is an early and rare form of plastic dating from 1868.