New-York tribune., 1877-07-14
METALLIC Art WORK.

woR1-cnAsING AND ENGRAyING- -JAPANEsE
METAL woRK-TnE BRYANT VASE.
To the EdttOr Of me TTtbRRc.
SIR; In my last letter | explained the
methods used ornamentng metal surfaces with ooloret
glass or euamcls tins will show what can be done
with the suriaces OF the metals themselves without the
ntloduc Of outside aeeu,-that Is TO say, without
heat or color When man agst found in Nature chunk
OF metal the first impression he conceived was that of
weight. When Ice held his band Lis first ilUpulsa
was To strike something with IT, lie found thai the
metal Was soft aud received dent. TAat the first
atinaton Of nalleabity. Seeing that harder
thau metal he struck tie metal with stone, and soon
found out that it could De Gatcued ino q sheet or
Knocked hollow cup, capable OF holding liquids
and supporting heat. TEe next Stcp was naturally -
ornament >ucA effects 10y making dents IN them from
the inside and IIom the outside. producing series q.
knob. ana hoovs te shape Of the ornament being Of
course that Of She Iooi used t. make the
don't did come from the outside from te inside
This was the origin of hammered or rcrcaase work
Tho next step in metal work must nave b'ea the Giscoy
ery that heat would melt metal Ia our advanced stage q
civilization some metas-god. silver, copper ami iton'
for hstance-can only he poured into s@nI moi,s D."
other substance known will allow the hot molten metal
10 come into sufficiently close contact "to take a,u
is tcchlhcay cai Cd, 10 retain n cOoln- h@ hires-
sion of the mold Does ,his seem % De- curious
check OIL TIE idea that methods OF production are AWAY
impruviu-. viz: Thai the artisan Who now produces ah
same material at centuries gave metal casting thc
fTst rude shape that perhaps, was ever cycn 10 metal
by heat i this world. and ta perhaps, only occurred
By accident too violent fire melting metal pot ANA
causing the metal the sand on which the fir
WIS built But shapes, even near 10 perfection -
craft can reach when east sand uolds G!waya need
finishing lis here that the ART Of At chaser is needed
lut must return TO my s,art.Hs-poiu,. Tho mos,
artistic method employed liz decorating the surfaces ct
metals IS tldt Cf producing them ornamental rci!es
II easily conceived that This can b. done hy substituting
TIE improved methods OF moie.n manufacture TO tic
urntive method Of knocking OIt knobs and king iu
donr. The principal merit OF this method o.
cEa,ngand the artisans 0i the Renaissance werc wei
aware ofit-s duplicate piece can b. produced
without tie entire work expended the original being
exactly made again. II piece Is cast from tli'
cast a new mold cau be made, and replica produced
II less expense than the original but IN hammered
piece it ia bot 70 repeat tie piece every stroke ci
the hammer must be struck over again.
would be tedious 10 follow the art OF chasing through
the different cpJchs of ornainent. art | Viii only
pla n tie InenOd used. At the Centennial EShJ:-
tan much 10 the astonishiucnt of Europe, America
proved herself thorough master Of this art A. far MS
handicra is concerned the Bryant Vase" showed tnat
hammered or rep0tsSt wOik well known 10 our art
sans and Europcaa work of tie best class not excepting
the celebrated Milton Shield, wrought by Molr Ia Dci!,
or the finest attempt OF Ncct o. AttaIge, for mos OF
these were ou surfaces. while the triumphant Autri-
can niece was executed ia relief every part of
which was hammered out This perhaps might need q
few words OF explanation, ye! every one VIII understand
that il is evidently easier TO hammer out ornament
On plate OF metal than vase, tie inside OF which d;
f.. much more difficult to reach with tie hammer. The
method the TfHmys u%cd h producing the vase J. nevor-
h,lc,s simple in theory and Will cudcavor 20 explain
IT, Auigo Of silver OF sufficient size Is hammered ont
into round na piece of thickness, which viii be
beaten into tie shape Of the body of the The rim
- ff-grs rod r-ffif t1
the appearance OF deep saucer the edges Of this
SANGER parallel dates are next with quilting ham
1aer TIE object of this is 10 facilitate the dhica opera
ton OF drawing up" the sides. This is produced by
hanmerins up the silver ~ series Of blows, striking
tie metal anvil, but rather over the eige OF
pecuiarshapcd anvil called stake iron, the hamlngr
falling silver ii,ilc higher tan thc spot that
rests on The anvil The workman continues turning
the piece, which he holds with hand while hc
strikes with the other. hammcring Tie bottom Of TIE
with specially shaped hammer called a"hPping
up" hammer. The silver j. also worked
lowered" BY udiciousy combining the two processes
OF drawing mp the sides and lowering the bottom, the
haUe OF the lower part the body q the is
obtained The InaileaDiy of the metal allows the crafts
uap ly the careful 81 ls hammer, 20 draw in the
metal at the top. thereby completing the shape Great
skill IS required 10 keep the Thickness Of the silver
durag The operation. Sometime hammers made OF
buffalo born are used il particular parta Of the process
The Lanlerng up OF the body OF tic Bryant vase too
more tisn three weeks of constant labor.
win nos, show how the raised ornament is produced
The next operaon L. that OF snarnS" This euphouc
term silues the process by which the requisite amount
~ silver bumps Will DC produced on the surface or the
metal 10 allow the ornament 20 be worked up III relief
In many cases for instance when the meek OF cohee-pot
of Persian sipe hardly inch i'll diameter IL seems
n, first s. .ht impossible that hammer could bc intro
euced 70 beat ou, the ornament This @ork Is done with
a s,,crI,3c-iy1n Suppose piece OF iron eighteen or
t,vet ineLe- long Terminated al ono ehd by short
e,,r hearing small rounded knob, and 30 the other by
n fat piece also bent at right angles Win TIE
rod which can be securely fastened b wise;
mis- iron Is introduced uto The BODY or the on the
eate rface Of which the mt TO be produced mas
becA sLetcsd the is held In horizontal position
the rounded knob brought IN contact with the nlef sur
foce: au apprentice armed with heavy hammer, strikes
the nar, Of ii held in the v, and the conclusion "f
the blow carried along suarHg iron, causes bump
10 be raj ca on the outer OF the silver; soon
ca,,tinuo;is series Of Jumps IL Produced on
tpe yase which sketch out the relief OF The orna-
,nept roughly, il Is true but very much In The
same way as q modoler first dispcscs humps Of
,,odene-Uax on u pniterI he has to ornament with
aoy.r or fgltVe. Whcu the sna- -ns Is DONE thlt -,
rhcn M entire relief uf the ornament has becn beaten
ont itb the siiafugsO IL work OF the chaser beeins
Into the vase Is pOarc hot ccHent Consisting pihci-
n1Iiv of ntr; WrsD this coels TIE b. Gird WITH
ld ye si4nily elasiic body. which Yields 10 tc blows
Inav 10 tH outer surface of TIE metal! inc
n@ee dcmiins II with blows suill punches aud Hat
fnCfs a hight hammer He pushes back the