Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-19
ART IN IRON NW0RK.
An Interesting Review of the Early
Days Of the Industry.
THE OLDEST EXISTING SAMPLES.
GriIl-Work in the Ancient Cathedrals That
Is Still Appreciated.
TIE ART OF THE EARLY LOCKSMITHS
The OLDEST EXISTING SAMPLES.
TIE ART OF THE EARLY LOCKSMITHS

of recent years been given to all branches Of
decorative art, that of the artistic treatment
of iron has not escaped notice. The black.
smith occupied an important position
among the craftsmen of the Middle Ages.
The insecurity of life and property, which
was one of the chief grievances of the times
made strength of material indispensable,
whether to guard the shrine of a saint, or to
protect after a more homely fashion the
family chest or Golfer The strength and
durability of iron led to its use
Ger these defensive purposes from early
times But the workman of the Middle
Ages was not content to allow strength
and uCliness of form to 90 together, but con.
trived to breathe spirit of beauty into his
designs without sacrificing the use to which
the material was destined. Thus wrought
iron formed the object of much artistic work
both in England and abroad. Until coal
came into general use, malleable iron was
produced direct from the ore with charcoal
by continuous working. Sussex was from
early times chief seat of the iron industry.
The earliest positive record of the trade
there is contained in q grant made by King
Henry Ill to the town OF Lewes in 1856,
bv which the inhabitants were empowered
TO raise toll for the repair of the town walls
after the battle. Every cart-load of iron
destined for sale which came from the
neighboring 'weald' was to pay penny
toll, and every horse-load of iron half that
sum. In 1890 sum OF money was paid to a
certain Master Henry, of Lewes, for the
ironwork to the monument of Henry III. in
Westminster Abbey, which reminds us that
talented smiths were brought often from
long distances for important works
Old Samples in England.
In this country, perhaps the Oldest exist
ing works in iron are hinges to doors,
strengthening bars, handles, escutcheons,
lock plates, and the like. Even the nails
were things of beauty. Abroad, the massive
doors of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de
Paris offer a wonderful example of early
ironwork Probably designed in the twelfth
century, the doors are nearly concealed with
their decorations of trees and birds, dragons,
and other grotesque beings. The door in
81. Georges Chapel, Windsor, is of about
OF the same date. The grotesque knocker
on the sanctuary door of Durham Cathedral,
which bears a rather diStaut resemblance to
q lion, is said to be of the twelfth century.
The Lollows for the eyes may have been
formerly filed with crystal or enamel; or, as
il has been suggested, the open eyes may
have been contrived to emit light from
within the church, so as to guide the hapless
being seeking sanctuary by night to the
welcome haven of safety.
The door of the chapter house of York
Cathedral is good example of the
work of the thirteenth century. 1t
consists of a central stem, and sew
eral large scrolls with diminutive leaves
branching out in all directions. Some
chests in the same cathedral are also finely
bound with decorative hinges. Occasionally,
hinges were gilt, and not laid directly on
the wood but on skin or scarlet felt. These
elaborate fastenings, however, fell into dis
use in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries,
when the woodwork of doors became richly
laclded and carved. The number of iron
pieces on a door furnished the French
dramatist Sedaine with the subject of an
amusing scene in the play of the "Gageure
Imprevue," brought out in 1888, in which a
MARQUIS, one of the chief characters, bets
that he will enumerate all the bits of iron,
big and little, which are employed in the
of q door-such as lock, screws,
nuts. knobs, bars, bolts and so forth. He
succeeded in naming them all except the
kew, and so eventually lost his bet. The old
process of repeatedly forging the iron gave
it a great tenacity and ductility, which
modern iron, except of the finest quality,
does not possess.
Ancient Iron Working Methods.
In early times the iron was not
actually made to melt, but
was separated out and formed into
a lump while in pasty condition, when it
was found to be sufficiently free from car
bon to be malleable without further pro-
cesses. 1t was then accordingly brought
under a heavy tilt-hammer, worked by q
cog-wheel and driven by water power
Sheets OF water in the Weald of Sussex and
in Kent owe their existence to the manu-
tacture of iron; while other pools and ponds
have been drained and transformed into hop
gardens or osier beds. Cornmills, too, often
occupy the sites where once the din of the
hammers resounded The iron was eventu-
allv formed into bars by beating under the
hammer, aud then worked into the sizes re-
quired bv the smith. When this had been
done, ;he artistic part Of his work. such as
welding, stamping and chiseling, still re-
manned. In the larger specimens of ancient
work some parts are additions entirely
welded: others are additions fastened at the
ends by bands welded across the ground
work Sheet iron, which had been intro
duced into England by the fourteenth GEN.
tury, saved much labor, and could be elab-
orately decorated.
Italy in the Middle ages led the way in
metal working as well as in other arts In
bronze, the work then produced has never
been equaled During the thirteenth and
tourteeth centuries, wrought-iron came into
general use for screens, for chapels and
tombs. and grills tor windows The screen
around the tombs of the Scala family at
Verona is composed of kind OF network of
1uatrefoils each filled up with a small lad
der (scala), in allusion to the family name.
Several churches in Florence and Siena
have magnificent screens of wrought-iron
One of the principal workers of iron of this |
period was Niccolo Grossi, who was taken |
guder the patronage of Lorenzo de- Medici. |
CauGelsticks, lanterns, cressets and torch |
bearers were produced in large numbers |
Ill Of the most artistic designs. Grossi |
executed four lanterns for the Strozzi palace |
IT Florence, which were set up in the year
500: and each cost a hundred forins for
alone. Another artist in iron
was Cozzareli, who fourished at the close |
)f the fifteenth century at Siena,
md distinguished himself in designing |
superb lanterns and torch-holders.
Iron Pulpits in Spain.
Spain also produced about the same period
nuch beautiful iron work in the shape of
nodded rails or balusters and friezes of |
pierced and repousse work, the whole being |
,ften plated with silver. The use of metal |
or pulpits is probably confined to Spain.
These are sometimes of bronze, but also of |
as in a church at Zamora, and |
Il that of San Gil, at Durgos Screens |
we're also produced in England of consider |
ble excellence, examples of which are |
hose erected to Bishop Vests chapel at |
.lv, and to Edward ". S tomb at Windsor, |
,oih made toward the close of the fifteenth |
eutury. Iron tracery work, produced by |
utting out patterns in plate and placing |