Spelter

Description

An old name for impure metallic Zinc usually sold commercially in ingots or slabs. Spelter usually contains some Lead. Imitation Bronze objects were cast from spelter in the 19th century. It is lighter, softer, more brittle, and more grayish in color than bronze.

Synonyms and Related Terms

spiauter; caleum; tuteneque; tuttanego

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 883

• Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985

• Tom Rowland, Noel Riley, A-Z Guide to Cleaning, Conserving and Repairing Antiques, Constable and Co., Ltd., London, 1981

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998