🏙️ From Damascus 💍 Wavy metal design 🛠️ To inlay metal 🎨 Decorative inlay

damascene

1 9.9

Metal decorated with a wavy pattern made from different metals for decoration

adjective
/dəˈmæs.iːn/

Specialized

: damasquinado

The museum display included a stunning damascene dagger from the 16th century.

Examples

The craftsman produced a damascene box inlaid with fine silver threads.
Her collection features several damascene brooches set with silver and gold.
The sword had a beautiful damascene pattern on its blade.
She admired the damascene jewelry at the market.
Her collection features several damascene brooches set with silver and gold.
The craftsman produced a damascene box inlaid with fine silver threads.
The sword had a beautiful damascene pattern on its blade.

How Decorated

ornate

Literature

25 7.0

damascene

Specialized

1 9.9

inlaid

8 6.1

engraved

17 4.3

plain

33 2.5

Surface Forms

damascene positive

Morphology

damascene = Damascus (opaque) = Damascus + ene

Although historically connected with Damascus, the specific decorative meaning developed through specialized use and is not directly guessable from the city name.

Etymology

Damascene also describes a metal surface with wavy or inlaid patterns and comes from famous Damascus blades and their work, often called Damascus steel. So a damascene object is one decorated by mixing or inlaying metals to make a visible pattern.