Scagliola
Scagliola (from the Italian scaglia, meaning "chips"), is an artificial way of imitating marble and other precious material. It is a decorative building material.
Stucco columns,[1] sculptures, and other architectural elements can be made by scagliola. It came into fashion in 17th-century Tuscany.
Scagliola is a composite substance made from selenite,[2] glue and natural pigments, imitating marble and other hard stones. The material may be veined with colours and stuck on to a core, or patterns may be carved into a prepared scagliola matrix. The pattern is then then filled with the coloured, plaster-like composite. Then it is polished with flax oil for brightness, and wax for protection. The whole thing gives a richness of colour not easy to get in natural marbles.
Scagliola Media
Italian scagliola top, second half of the 18th century
Scagliola in the Allen County Courthouse, Fort Wayne Indiana USA
Scagliola work at the Certosa di Padula, Italy
Scagliola in the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers near Bad Staffelstein, Germany
Scagliola in the St. Lorenz Basilica in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany
Scagliola altar in the Cappella di Sant'Aquilino, Milan, Italy
Notes
- ↑ Stucco is a material used for decoration in buildings. It is made of an aggregate (such as sand) plus a binder (such as lime) plus water. Animal or plant fibres are often added to give it strength. Modern stucco might add acrylics and glass fibres to make it last longer.
- ↑ Selenite is a crystalline form of gypsum, and gypsum is basically a form of calcium sulphate (CaSO4·2H2O)