DOI Heft:
No. 55 (October, 1897)
DOI Artikel:The Guild of Handicraft: a visit to Essex House
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18390#0054
A Visit to Essex House
of I »ondon houses, the interior fitments of a country
house which Mr. Ashbee was restoring, a presenta-
tion casket for the Queen, a large quantity of
jewellery, and silver and electro-plated table ser-
vices : while on our last visit we saw the beginnings
of the furniture and interior decorative work of the
palace of Darmstadt for the Grand Duke of Hesse.
The Coppersmiths.
The art of Repousse* copper, so long fallen into
desuetude, was redeveloped in this country from
a beginning which came to Mr. Ashbee's notice in
quite a casual way. In his peregrinations in the
East End, Mr. Ashbee came upon a workman who
had at one time been employed in Ue Morgan's
tile works. This man, broken down in health and
out of any regular employment, had carefully ex-
amined in the British Museum theRepousse copper
of the Middle Ages. With the spirit of emulation
he employed himself in imitating or adapting De
Morgan's tiles in beaten copper. Mr. Ashbee
secured his services, and this man continued the
EMBOSSED LEATHER WALL HANGINGS
DESIGNED AND EXECUTED AT ESSEX HOUSE
execution of this class of work, and laid the tra-
dition which has been carried on at Essex House.
The method of this class of work is simple. If
of the nature of a plate or disc, the piece of copper
is laid upon a bed of pitch or lead, and hammered
from front or back as occasion requires with a mallet
and punches of various sizes, in accordance with
the forms of the design which is being executed.
If of the nature of a bowl, the beating is done
upon an iron head, and held in position by the hand.
After a certain amount of hammering the metal
becomes hardened, and requires softening to its
original condition. This process, called annealing,
is done by heating the copper in the flame blown
by the bellows from a Bunsen burner. A very lew
minutes suffice, the colour indicating the proper
condition, and the hammering of the softened copper
proceeds as before. Copper is emphatically the metal
for the Repousse worker, because it combines the
necessary qualities, softness and ductility, in quite a
remarkable degree. Brass may be used, although
it is rather hard, and Mr. Ashbee often employs
pewter, a compound whose colour is of a highly
embossed leather wall hangings satisfactory nature for decorative purposes. Silver.
designed and executed at essex uousE too, is frequently dealt with at Essex House, and in
32
of I »ondon houses, the interior fitments of a country
house which Mr. Ashbee was restoring, a presenta-
tion casket for the Queen, a large quantity of
jewellery, and silver and electro-plated table ser-
vices : while on our last visit we saw the beginnings
of the furniture and interior decorative work of the
palace of Darmstadt for the Grand Duke of Hesse.
The Coppersmiths.
The art of Repousse* copper, so long fallen into
desuetude, was redeveloped in this country from
a beginning which came to Mr. Ashbee's notice in
quite a casual way. In his peregrinations in the
East End, Mr. Ashbee came upon a workman who
had at one time been employed in Ue Morgan's
tile works. This man, broken down in health and
out of any regular employment, had carefully ex-
amined in the British Museum theRepousse copper
of the Middle Ages. With the spirit of emulation
he employed himself in imitating or adapting De
Morgan's tiles in beaten copper. Mr. Ashbee
secured his services, and this man continued the
EMBOSSED LEATHER WALL HANGINGS
DESIGNED AND EXECUTED AT ESSEX HOUSE
execution of this class of work, and laid the tra-
dition which has been carried on at Essex House.
The method of this class of work is simple. If
of the nature of a plate or disc, the piece of copper
is laid upon a bed of pitch or lead, and hammered
from front or back as occasion requires with a mallet
and punches of various sizes, in accordance with
the forms of the design which is being executed.
If of the nature of a bowl, the beating is done
upon an iron head, and held in position by the hand.
After a certain amount of hammering the metal
becomes hardened, and requires softening to its
original condition. This process, called annealing,
is done by heating the copper in the flame blown
by the bellows from a Bunsen burner. A very lew
minutes suffice, the colour indicating the proper
condition, and the hammering of the softened copper
proceeds as before. Copper is emphatically the metal
for the Repousse worker, because it combines the
necessary qualities, softness and ductility, in quite a
remarkable degree. Brass may be used, although
it is rather hard, and Mr. Ashbee often employs
pewter, a compound whose colour is of a highly
embossed leather wall hangings satisfactory nature for decorative purposes. Silver.
designed and executed at essex uousE too, is frequently dealt with at Essex House, and in
32