Pointillé

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Pointillé is a decorative technique in which patterns are formed on a surface by a means of punched dots. The technique is similar to embossing or engraving but is done manually and does not cut into the surface being decorated. Pointillé was commonly used to decorate arms and armor starting in the fifteenth century [1].

[edit] Common uses of pointillé

Pointelle is commonly used:

in the decoration of metallic arms and armor
in the decoration of hand-finished firearms
in bookbinding to finish hand-made bookcovers [2]

[edit] Further reading

Techniques of Decoration on Arms and Armor. Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved on December 2, 2005.
Pointillé. Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology. Etherington & Roberts. Retrieved on December 2, 2005.