lapidary style

lapidary style

      in calligraphy, style of lettering characteristically used for inscription in marble or other stone by chisel strokes, as, for example, on Trajan's Column in the Forum at Rome. The words of the inscription may be painted upon the stone slab first as a guide for the stonecutter, and the effect of his cut letters may be heightened by later painting or gilding them. The play of light and shade on the planes of the incised strokes enhances the precision of the technique. The lapidary style reached its zenith of elegance and restraint in the square roman capital alphabet.

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  • Lapidary style — Lapidary Lap i*da*ry, a. [L. lapidarius pertaining to stone: cf. F. lapidaire.] 1. Of or pertaining to the art of cutting stones, or engraving on stones, either gems or monuments; as, lapidary ornamentation. [1913 Webster] 2. Of or pertaining to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lapidary — Lap i*da*ry, a. [L. lapidarius pertaining to stone: cf. F. lapidaire.] 1. Of or pertaining to the art of cutting stones, or engraving on stones, either gems or monuments; as, lapidary ornamentation. [1913 Webster] 2. Of or pertaining to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lapidary — A lapidary (the word means concerned with stones ) is an artisan who practices the craft of working, forming and finishing stone, mineral, gemstones, and other suitably durable materials (amber, shell, jet, pearl, copal, coral, horn and bone,… …   Wikipedia

  • lapidary — /lap i der ee/, n., pl. lapidaries, adj. n. 1. Also, lapidist /lap i dist/. a worker who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones. 2. Also, lapidarist /leuh pid euhr ist/. an expert in precious stones and the art or techniques used in cutting …   Universalium

  • lapidary — lap•i•dar•y [[t]ˈlæp ɪˌdɛr i[/t]] n. pl. dar•ies, adj. 1) jew Also, lap′i•dist. a worker who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones. 2) jew Also, la•pid•ar•ist [[t]ləˈpɪd ər ɪst[/t]] an expert in precious stones and the art or techniques… …   From formal English to slang

  • lapidary — lap|i|da|ry [ˈlæpıdəri US deri] adj [only before noun] [Date: 1300 1400; : Latin; Origin: lapidarius, from lapis stone ] 1.) formal well written and accurate ▪ the lapidary style of the poem 2.) technical relating to the cutting or polishing of… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • lapidary —   a. pertaining to or engraved on stone; (of style) elegant and precise; n. gem engraver.    ♦ lapidarian, a. pertaining to or inscribed on stone.    ♦ lapidarist, n. expert on gems and gem cutting …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • lapidary — adj. & n. adj. 1 concerned with stone or stones. 2 engraved upon stone. 3 (of writing style) dignified and concise, suitable for inscriptions. n. (pl. ies) a cutter, polisher, or engraver of gems. Etymology: ME f. L lapidarius f. lapis idis stone …   Useful english dictionary

  • alphabet — /al feuh bet , bit/, n. 1. the letters of a language in their customary order. 2. any system of characters or signs with which a language is written: the Greek alphabet. 3. any such system for representing the sounds of a language: the phonetic… …   Universalium

  • English literature — Introduction       the body of written works produced in the English language by inhabitants of the British Isles (including Ireland) from the 7th century to the present day. The major literatures written in English outside the British Isles are… …   Universalium

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