[dam-uh-seen, dam-uh-seen] 
adjective, noun, verb, -scened, -scen⋅ing.| 1. | of or pertaining to the city of Damascus. |
| 2. | (lowercase ) of or pertaining to the art of damascening. |
| 3. | an inhabitant of Damascus. |
| 4. | (lowercase) work or patterns produced by damascening. |
| 5. | (lowercase) Also, dam⋅a⋅skeen [dam-uh-skeen, dam-uh-skeen] . to produce wavy lines on (Damascus steel). |
dam·a·scene (dām'ə-sēn', dām'ə-sēn')  (click for larger image in new window) tr.v. dam·a·scened, dam·a·scen·ing, dam·a·scenes To decorate (metal) with wavy patterns of inlay or etching. n. Metalwork decorated with wavy patterns of inlay or etching. adj.
[French damasquiner, from damasquin, of Damascus, from Latin Damascēnus, from Greek Damaskēnos, from Damaskos, Damascus.] dam'a·scen'er n. |
damascening
art of encrusting gold, silver, or copper wire on the surface of iron, steel, bronze, or brass. A narrow undercut is made in the surface of the metal with a chisel and the wire forced into the undercut by means of a hammer. The name is derived from the city of Damascus, which was celebrated for its damascened wares as early as the 12th century. The armourers of northern Italy used damascening to decorate their products during the 16th century. In the 19th century the art underwent a revival in Europe, particularly in France and Spain. Damascened work of high quality is still produced by craftsmen there and in Egypt and Iran.
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