Spelter, while sometimes used merely as a synonym for
zinc, is often used to identify a zinc
alloy. In this sense it might be an alloy of equal parts
copper and zinc, i.e. a
brass, used for hard soldering and
brazing, or as an alloy, containing
lead, that is used instead of
bronze. In this usage it was common for many 19th-century cheap, cast articles such as candlesticks and clock cases and early 20th-century
Art Nouveau ornaments and
Art Deco figures.