A form of imitation marble (sometimes called stucco lucido) used from the 17th century, in which a thin layer of lime or gypsum plaster is applied over a scored support of lime. While the plaster is still wet, pigment is scattered on the surface and then dragged across it with a brush or comb to suggest veining. The surface is then polished to a high sheen with a hot iron. Although this method does not make as faithful a reproduction of marble as scagliola, it has the advantage of being quicker to produce and does not require the use of scraping tools, which are difficult to employ on curved surfaces. It is mentioned as one of the historic techniques for decorating architectural surfaces. Trench (2000); Wittenburg (1999). [J. Cassar, R. de Angelis]