maquette

American  

[ma-ket, muh-] / mæˈkɛt, mə- /

noun

1. a small model or study in three dimensions for either a sculptural or an architectural project.

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maquette British  

/ mæˈkɛt /

noun

1. a sculptor's small preliminary model or sketch

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Etymology

Origin of maquette

1900–05; < French < Italian macchietta, diminutive of macchia a sketch, complex of lines < Latin macula mesh, spot

Example Sentences

To demonstrate, Close’s meticulously detailed head of mustachioed “Robert,” 9 feet tall, is installed next to its maquette, an enlarged and subdivided black-and-white photograph overlaid with a tight grid.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024

The concept model, also known as a maquette, had been presented by Rambaldi to “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” director Steven Spielberg for approval.

From Washington Times • Dec. 21, 2022

It features architectural drawings and a plaster maquette, period photographs and rare books and manuscripts from Morgan’s collection.

From New York Times • Jun. 10, 2022

The bronze maquette is scored in overlapping circles, alluding to the process used by George Tsutakawa to weld its complex forms.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 3, 2021

So North probably saw not a working model, or even a maquette, but a drawing—hence his insistence that he had only seen it in model.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton