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craquelure

n. (context arts English) The distinctive pattern of hairline cracks in the surface of an old painting

Wikipedia
Craquelure

Craquelure (, ) is the fine pattern of dense "cracking" formed on the surface of materials, either as part of the process of ageing or of their original formation or production. The term is most often used to refer to tempera or oil paintings, where it is a sign of age that is also sometimes induced in forgeries, and ceramics, where it is often deliberate, and usually called "crackle". It can also develop in old ivory carvings, and painted miniatures on an ivory backing are prone to craquelure.

Usage examples of "craquelure".

A faintly bitter chemical smell arose as the craquelure deepened across the broken page, and the flakes of paper drifted to the floor, disintegrating further.

When at last I stood before that panel of polychromed wood again in Arizona, I could feel its craquelure of centuries like a net of painful scars on my own skin.

Fine lines, like the craquelure of an old painting, abreast of us, advancing, everywhere .