DOI Heft:
No. 12 (March, 1894)
DOI Artikel:Dawson, Nelson: Concerning repovssè metal work
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17189#0209
Concerning Repousse' Metal IVork
would design for copper must think copper every or other such functionary, is
whit as much. not (luite apparent. Anyway,
And although we may find classes and schools not even this gentleman with
where the mechanical part of the process is taught the lengthy title can prevent
fairly well, for this more important matter of what one from stowing facts away
we are to say, we must recognise the fact that in a mental pigeon-hole ;
instruction is of very little use. That it is good to and, however bad the artistic
contemplate the works of those who have gone memory may be in some mat-
before, it would be idle to deny. Though together ters, it has, on the other hand,
with that, one would advise the designer, as much the power of fixing a perma-
as the landscape painter, to go to Nature and nent image of any beautiful
with her, to learn so much of her secrets object on the mind.
A drawing here given of
one of the oldest specimens
of hammered plate work, is
ship in beaten copper ; part of hanging
candelabra. by nelson dawson
a part-length figure in the
r . from a figure in the
British Museum. It is the British museum
earliest known attempt to
represent the figure in the round, and was done
previous to the knowledge of hollow bronze-
casting. It is formed by beating thin plates of
metal (presumably bronze) into the desired form,
afterwards pinning them on to a wooden core.
The Greeks were very fond of thus piecing to-
gether their repousse work, and in some other
specimens where thin plates of silver have been
beaten into high relief and used as the decoration
of a chariot, it is quite remarkable to see the
many pieces that have been joined together, either
overlapping and pinned, or edge to edge. The
latter treatment shows considerable knowledge of
the use of solder or brazing metal.
A case of later Roman silver work, bowls and
other objects, richly embossed and of beautiful
design, is of much interest to the metal-worker—
as shall help him later to invent ideas that make
the metal more beautiful. One of the most delight-
ful bits of beaten work that comes to one's mind
is on a piece of bright steel horse armour in the
Tower, of about the time of Henry VI. In this,
having to cover a considerable space, the design is
very bold in treatment. The subject is a broad
and simple arrangement of bursting pomegranates
and leaves; but the subject does not matter very
much—it is for the handling and treatment that
we should study the old work, not to steal its
designs. It is worth noting that the difficulties in
the way of obtaining permission to make a sketch
in the Tower are manifold, and why the art student
who desires to make a few notes of ancient armour notably, a small bowl with large vin,
should after much correspondence be further it, the leaves of which at their points are so hT
shunted on to the "General Commanding Artillery" in relief -is tn k» u i ' &
6 uucry, in reiiet as to be much undercut—a technical
197
a panel, by nelson dawson
would design for copper must think copper every or other such functionary, is
whit as much. not (luite apparent. Anyway,
And although we may find classes and schools not even this gentleman with
where the mechanical part of the process is taught the lengthy title can prevent
fairly well, for this more important matter of what one from stowing facts away
we are to say, we must recognise the fact that in a mental pigeon-hole ;
instruction is of very little use. That it is good to and, however bad the artistic
contemplate the works of those who have gone memory may be in some mat-
before, it would be idle to deny. Though together ters, it has, on the other hand,
with that, one would advise the designer, as much the power of fixing a perma-
as the landscape painter, to go to Nature and nent image of any beautiful
with her, to learn so much of her secrets object on the mind.
A drawing here given of
one of the oldest specimens
of hammered plate work, is
ship in beaten copper ; part of hanging
candelabra. by nelson dawson
a part-length figure in the
r . from a figure in the
British Museum. It is the British museum
earliest known attempt to
represent the figure in the round, and was done
previous to the knowledge of hollow bronze-
casting. It is formed by beating thin plates of
metal (presumably bronze) into the desired form,
afterwards pinning them on to a wooden core.
The Greeks were very fond of thus piecing to-
gether their repousse work, and in some other
specimens where thin plates of silver have been
beaten into high relief and used as the decoration
of a chariot, it is quite remarkable to see the
many pieces that have been joined together, either
overlapping and pinned, or edge to edge. The
latter treatment shows considerable knowledge of
the use of solder or brazing metal.
A case of later Roman silver work, bowls and
other objects, richly embossed and of beautiful
design, is of much interest to the metal-worker—
as shall help him later to invent ideas that make
the metal more beautiful. One of the most delight-
ful bits of beaten work that comes to one's mind
is on a piece of bright steel horse armour in the
Tower, of about the time of Henry VI. In this,
having to cover a considerable space, the design is
very bold in treatment. The subject is a broad
and simple arrangement of bursting pomegranates
and leaves; but the subject does not matter very
much—it is for the handling and treatment that
we should study the old work, not to steal its
designs. It is worth noting that the difficulties in
the way of obtaining permission to make a sketch
in the Tower are manifold, and why the art student
who desires to make a few notes of ancient armour notably, a small bowl with large vin,
should after much correspondence be further it, the leaves of which at their points are so hT
shunted on to the "General Commanding Artillery" in relief -is tn k» u i ' &
6 uucry, in reiiet as to be much undercut—a technical
197
a panel, by nelson dawson