Incrustation is a decorative technique in which a surface, such as a wall or floor, is inlaid with coloured, polished pieces of stone arranged into a pattern. It is therefore about inlay and ornament, not merely cladding the substrate.
Material and origin
- Material: usually marble or porphyry is used, chosen for its colour and its shine after polishing.
- Name: the term comes from the Latin crusta, meaning crust or inlay work.
- Second meaning: the word can also refer to a mineral crust or deposit on a surface.
Use in art history
The technique was popular across various periods and styles:
- Byzantine and Moorish art.
- The Italian Renaissance, with well-known examples such as the Baptistery of Florence and the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
By combining contrasting types of stone, rich geometric and figurative patterns were created on walls and floors.
Related terms
- Mosaic
- Intarsia
- Marble
- Natural stone
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