Piqué work

Piqué work is historic decoration in which small points, wires or areas of metal are inlaid into a supporting material. The best-known objects combine tortoiseshell with gold, silver or mother-of-pearl. The craft was especially developed in Naples during the first half of the eighteenth century.

Material and method

Historic artisans could shape tortoiseshell and insert decoration while the material was soft. Designs may use dense points, lines, figures and larger areas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds an eighteenth-century German box made with tortoiseshell and piqué work.

What should be examined?

Do not identify the material or age from the pattern alone. Later imitations may use plastic or other materials, and missing inlays may have been replaced. Record the back, edges, joints and losses. Material, maker and date require separate assessment.

Sources: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, box with piqué work and Éditions d’art Monelle Hayot, Piqué.