rocaille


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ro·caille

 (rō-kī′)
n.
1. A style of decorative art associated with the rococo and characterized by intricate rock, shell, and scroll motifs.
2. Decorative rockwork, often incorporating these motifs.

[French, rock fragments, rocaille, from Old French, rocky ground : roc, rock; akin to roche, rock (from Vulgar Latin *rocca) + -aille, collective and pejorative suff. (from Latin -ālia, neuter pl. of -ālis, adj. suff.)]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

rocaille

(rɒˈkaɪ)
n
(Art Terms) decorative rock or shell work, esp as ornamentation in a rococo fountain, grotto, or interior
[from French, from roc rock1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ro•caille

(roʊˈkaɪ; Fr. rɔˈkɑ yə)

n.
a style of ornamentation incorporating rock and shell forms, characteristic of the Rococo period.
[1855–60; < French: pebble-work, derivative of roc rock1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in periodicals archive ?
Terme jusque-la protege dans son ecrin d'Amazighite, plus que millenaire, comme les monts et montagnes, les collines, la rocaille semi-desertique, les rivieres et cours d'eau qui l'entourent.
6), forefather of rocaille, was responsible, in the late 17th century, for such diverse amusements as fetes, carousels, spectacles de la cour, ceremonies, balls, fireworks, collations, pompes funebres and illuminations in the galleries of the Louvre.
Recently, venerable juices from Caron Paris were added to Amazon's Luxury Beauty store, including men's, women's and unisex scents such as Fleur de Rocaille, Lady Caron, Caron Paris Pour Un Homme and Royal Bain De Caron, to name just a few.
Difficile de faire pousser quelque chose sur cette rocaille schisteuse a peine recouverte d'une couche de poussiere pour faire office de sol, et la rigueur des hivers dans ce coin venteux n'est pas pour favoriser la venue de pantouflards.
"To cater to these American needs we have come up with our Rocaille collection and our Rouen 37 service, both launched in January." The company also designed larger mugs and bowls.
e name Rococo is thought to derive from a combination of the French word for rock-rock work, rocaille, and for shell, coquille and was originally used as a jibe to poke fun at the aristocratic fashion for rockwork grottos plastered with seashells.
In fact, shells inspired an entire French art movement: Rococo, a word blending the French rocaille, referring to the practice of covering walls with shells and rocks, and the Italian barocco, or Baroque.
These are enhanced with rocaille and seed beads in the same colors with the addition of lavender and aqua.
In this context Rorschach Curtain could be seen as representing the equally import tradition of ceramics as tessarae, tiles, or other architectural ornaments, its small biomorphic elements suggesting in particular the rocaille of 18th century European salons.