Architecture / Skin / Carving

a giorno: Same as a jour; the Italian form of the phrase.
a jour: Carving pierced to transmit light.
ajour: Pierced panel of some material, e.g. marble, to allow the admission of air and light.
ajoure: Carving pierced to transmit light.

bas relief: A low carving protruding somewhat from the background plane.
bas-relief: A form of sculpture in which the figures project but slightly form the general background; low relief; as, for example, in the frieze of the Parthenon. Any sculptured work thus executed in low relief. Bas-relief is especially used as an adjunct to architecture. The contrasting treatment of sculpture is high relief or alto-rilievo.
basse-taille: Bas-relief; the older French term which was in use until the 17th century. It has passed into English as a term used by collectors and dealers in ancient works of art.
basso-relievo: A low carving protruding somewhat from the background plane.
basso-rilievo: Bas-relief.
bas-taille: Same as bas-relief.
isocephalic: In bas-relief, having the heads nearly on a horizontal line; especially said of the heads of human figures in a frieze or band.
isocephalism: In Greek bas-reliefs, the custom of designing the heads of all figures along one horizontal line.
isocephalous: Having the heads nearly on a horizontal line; said especially of human figures in a frieze or band, as a painting or bas-relief. Rarely extended to arches in an arcuated construction when for any reason the crowns and not the springing lines are brought nearly to a horizontal plane.
low relief: Same as bas-relief.

abate: To cut away, as in stonework, or to beat down, as in metalwork, so as to leave parts in relief.
abated: To cut away, as in stonework, or to beat down, as in metalwork, so as to leave parts in relief.
carving: Cutting in wood, stone, or other resistant material requiring the use of a sharp tool; especially, ornamental cutting, whether in relief or in intaglio. The distinction between carving and sculpture is wholly that of importance and dignity; thus, the figure subjects in Gothic work are hardly ever spoken of as carving, whereas the leaf ornaments in bands and cornices are often so designated.
champ: A defined surface ready for carving.
champe: Field or ground on which carving is raised.
relief: Sculpture engaged with its background, as seen on Classical friezes and pediments. 2. An apparent projection from a flat background due to contrast, creating the illusion of three dimensions.
relieved work: Ornamentation done in relief.
relievo: Also see rilievo.
rilievo: Ornament in relief. There are three degrees: alto-rilievo, mezzo-rilievo, and basso-rilievo, representing great projection, about half projection of a figure, and slight projection.

skin / carving / embossed

anaglypha: Vessels of metal embossed in relief.
anaglyphic: Having the character of an anaglyph; carved in relief.
ectype: A copy or image in relief or embossed. 2. A reproduction of an original.
embossed work: In general, decorative work in relief, produced, not by carving or casting, but by stamping, hammering, pressing with a die, or like use of mechanical force; such as that done in sheet metal by “striking up” from behind.
enchased: Descriptive of a variety of hammered metalwork in which a pattern in relief is produced by hammering down the background or depressed portions of the design.

anaglyph: Sculpture or other ornament in relief more pronounced that bas-relief.
demirelief: Sculptural relief intermediate between high relief and bas-relief.
demi-rilievo: Also see demo-rilievo.
demo-rilievo: Also see demo-rilievo.
half relief: Sculptural relief intermediate between high relief and bas-relief.
half-relief: Sculpture in relief, between bas-relief and alto-relief; a term of no accurate or precise value.
mezzo rilievo: Also see relief.
mezzo-relievo: Sculptural relief intermediate between high relief and bas-relief.
mezzo-rilievo: Also see relief.

card-cut: Low-relief fret (but unpierced) in (especially) Chinoiserie and Gothick friezes.
geometric design: Flat and low-relief forms with continuous patterns, bandlike placements, or relatively isolated relief forms.
low-relief sculpture: A low carving protruding somewhat from the background plane.
stiacciato: In very low relief, as if a bas-relief had been pressed flatter.

repousse: Ornamental metal relief work produced by hammering metal into a form from the reverse side.
repoussé: Ornamental metal-work with patterns in relief on the exposed surface formed by punching the metal from the back, finished by chasing.
repoussè: A pattern in relief, usually made by hammering thin metal from behind.
repousse work: Ornamental metal relief work produced by hammering metal into a form from the reverse side.

cavo rilievo: Also see sunk relief.
cavo-relievo: Also see cavo-relievo, cavo-rilievo, intaglio rilevato.
cavo-rilievo: Also see sunk relief.
coelanaglyphic relief: Carving in relief in which no part of the figure represented projects beyond the surrounding plane.
coelanglyphic: Also see relief.
coilanaglyphic: An Egyptian form of relief is counter sunk, i.e. it does not project above the general surface upon which it is wrought. This is known as cavo relievo or intaglio relevato; also hollow relief or coelanaglyphic sculpture. The outlines are incised and the relief is thus contained in a sunk panel no bigger than itself.
diaglyph: A relief engraved in reverse; an intaglio. 2. A sunk relief.
hollow relief: Same as sunk relief.
in cavetto: The reverse of relief, differing from intaglio in that the design is impressed into plaster or clay.
incavo: The hollowed or incised part of an intaglio.
incavo relievo: Also see relief.
intaglio rilevato: See sunk relief.
intaglio rilievo: Also see relief.
sunk relief: Also see cavo-relievo, cavo-rilievo, intaglio rilevato.

Also see Architecture index.