ajouré

See also: ajoure

English

Alternative forms

• ajoure

Etymology

Borrowed from French ajouré (“perforated”)

Noun

ajouré (uncountable)

1. A technique for creating patterns of open areas in fabric by tying woven threads together.
   • 1980, Scottish Field - Volume 126, page 41:

     Then work 6 rows point ajouré, 4 rows in Gyps'Anny of stocking stitch, 6 rows in ficelle point ajouré, and 4 rows stocking stitch in Gyps'Anny.

   • 2004, Textile Outlook International - Volumes 109-111, page 49:

     There are silk/cotton blends with ajouré work, multicoloured deckchair stripes, and the highly coloured stripes known as bayadère work ( see Glossary ).

   • 2014, Jenny Udale, Fashion Knitwear:

     ... I recently used a lot of ajouré/lace techniques and printed on top of that.

   • 2021, Medill Higgins Harvey, Andrea Achi, Deniz Beyazit, Collecting Inspiration, page 200:

     The ajouré technique, especially, was used for the white face veils (rubanda) worn in Qajar Iran because the openwork allowed the wearer to see.

2. A decorative technique in which patterns are created by piercing or perforating a surface (of metal, ivory, leather, marble, etc.)
   • 1966, Smithsonian Institution, Islamic Art from the Collection of Edwin Binney 3d:

     The metalworkers used both inlay in silver and gold and ajouré (design produced by complete removal of metal to produce the desired pattern) (cat.88) in addition to the more common engraving (cat. 87).

   • 1967, Max Edgar Lucien Mallowan, Georgina Herrmann, Ivories from Nimrud (1949-1963), page 37:

     An inverted 'Tree'; ajouré-work with detail in low relief.

   • 2019, Hélène Sader, The History and Archaeology of Phoenicia, page 177:

     Phoenician workmanship used also specific techniques such as ajouré, cloisonné, and champlevé.

Adjective

ajouré (comparative more ajouré, superlative most ajouré)

Gules, a chateau argent, ajouré of the field.

1. Decorated using ajouré.
   • 1929, Bashford Dean, Catalogue of European Court Swords and Hunting Swords, page 5:

     Thus, among numerous varieties, he may pick out at a glance the blued and ajouré steel hilts of the Restoration;

   • 1952, Iraq - Volumes 14-15:

     Not far from it was another ivory, an open work or ajouré sphinx, and in the same belt of debris, to the front of the stele and along the east wall of the court, there were other fragments of broken up ivory plaques engraved with processional scenes, clearly ninth century in style.

   • 1998, American Sportswear & Knitting Times - Volume 67, page 17:

     Stitches include ajouré works, prints with botanical patterns, plain or close stiches with detailed shaping.

   • 2003, Richard Ettinghausen, Oleg Grabar, Islamic Art and Architecture 650-1250, page 308:

     Compare ajouré decoration on rim with that on soffit in [ 87 ].

   • 2004, J.N. Coldstream, Geometric Greece: 900–700 BC, page 402:

     In gold leaf, ajouré fragments portray helmeted warriors back to back,72 in the semi-oriental stvle of the attachment from Knossos, fig. 1 26; also, small roundels, again showing armed.

2. (heraldry) Depicted in the same color as the field in order to imply that one can see through the element to the field; voided of the field.

Translations

voided of the field

• Spanish: clarado (es)

French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Participle

ajouré (feminine ajourée, masculine plural ajourés, feminine plural ajourées)

1. past participle of ajourer

Adjective

ajouré (feminine ajourée, masculine plural ajourés, feminine plural ajourées)

1. (relational) openwork; perforated, fretted

Related terms

• ajourer

Further reading

• “ajouré”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.