lavorato

Lavorato is an Italian term meaning “worked” or “manufactured.” It is the past participle of the verb lavorare and is used as an adjective to describe objects that have been shaped, fashioned, or processed by human activity. In inventories, museums, and catalogs, expressions such as pietra lavorata or legno lavorato denote materials that have been turned from their natural state into a finished product.

Common contexts for the term include architecture, sculpture, and crafts, where materials like pietra lavorata (worked stone), legno lavorato (worked wood), and metallo lavorato (worked metal) are described as having undergone shaping or finishing. The expression often helps distinguish between hand-made work and machine-made production, e.g., lavoro a mano (hand work) versus lavoro meccanico or industriale (mechanical or industrial work).

In archaeology and art history, lavorato is used to indicate objects that show deliberate human modification, from carving to polishing, rather than natural features. It also appears in product descriptions and trade terms to indicate that an item is processed rather than natural.

As a surname, Lavorato exists in Italian-speaking regions, though it is relatively uncommon.