Silver mounted badek for coments

Gonzalo G · 27th April 2008, 11:59 PM

Thank you, Tim. I discovered another thing from your languaje and found the source of confussion, as in spanish, or at least in Latin American spanish, we use the word "repujado" (repousée) in silversmithing only to the work done from the back, and chiseled to the work made from the front. We don´t have an equivalent of the word "chasing", and even in the dictionaries I just consulted right now, this word is traslated to spanish as "cincelado" or "chiselled". Is a confussion it just happens, like with the word "tempered", or in spanish "templado", which applied to steel thermal treatments in spanish means "hardened" and in english another thing. I will not commit the same error again.
With my best regards

Gonzalo

A. G. Maisey · 28th April 2008, 01:04 AM

Tim, I am not a silversmith, nor a jeweller, so I do not know terms as they are used in the trade. Within the trade, repousse and chasing could well carry the meanings you have given.

However, in standard English usage, repousse means :- "Of metal work. Raised or beaten into relief, ornamented in relief, by means of hammering from the reverse side." (Oxford)

Chasing of metal work is actually an abbreviation of "enchasing", and it means :- "To adorn metal with work embossed or engraved in relief." (Oxford).

Thus, this silver work could be designated as chasing, since the motif incorporates embossing work as well as engraving work. The word comes from Middle English, and can be applied to not only ornamental metal work, but also other types of indentation or grooving, or to the cutting of a screw.

However, common usage would see this work designated as "embossing".

The word "emboss" can be used in a number of various applications, but the one that would concern this discussion is:- "To carve or mould in relief." (Oxford)

The silver work under discussion has been produced by a combination of moulding the motif in relief by the use of punches, and by engraving some of the details. All the ornamentation has been applied to the face of the object, it has not been applied from behind. It could be referred to as embossed work, or as chased work, but in standard English usage it would be incorrect to refer to it as repousse.

As a supplementary comment I will add this:- I have spent a lot of time watching the craftsmen of Kota Gede near Jogjakarta doing this work. It is truly amazing to watch these people, most of the time they seem to work automatically, without any apparent effort or concentration on the work. In one workshop that is owned by a friend of mine, there are perhaps 20 or more men all working alongside one another, as they work they will be smoking, and chatting about the weekend's football match, or how many fish they caught. Their attention is not directed at the work they are doing, except when they come to some difficult detail, the rest of the time they are looking everywhere else but at the job, and their hands seem to work independent of themselves. Sometimes they will work to a photograph or sketch, sometimes a motif is sketched onto the silver and they follow that, mostly they work from memory. They will be told to emboss something with such and such a motif, they will put small guide marks around the edge of the job to help them keep the correct distribution of the motif over the work area, then they will work freehand, using a variety of punches to apply the motif in relief.

Tim Simmons · 28th April 2008, 08:09 AM

This is an example of what we in the trade in the UK call chasing. A good chaser can make not so good work presentable, if there is the budget they can make work sparkle with life detail and grandeur. Like these feathers making them very life like in real space. wing span 35"

28th April 2008, 08:09 AM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	Chasing example. This is an example of what we in the trade in the UK call chasing. A good chaser can make not so good work presentable, if there is the budget they can make work sparkle with life detail and grandeur. Like these feathers making them very life like in real space. wing span 35" Last edited by Tim Simmons; 28th April 2008 at 08:33 AM.

27th April 2008, 11:59 PM	#1
Gonzalo G Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nothern Mexico Posts: 458	Thank you, Tim. I discovered another thing from your languaje and found the source of confussion, as in spanish, or at least in Latin American spanish, we use the word "repujado" (repousée) in silversmithing only to the work done from the back, and chiseled to the work made from the front. We don´t have an equivalent of the word "chasing", and even in the dictionaries I just consulted right now, this word is traslated to spanish as "cincelado" or "chiselled". Is a confussion it just happens, like with the word "tempered", or in spanish "templado", which applied to steel thermal treatments in spanish means "hardened" and in english another thing. I will not commit the same error again. With my best regards Gonzalo

28th April 2008, 01:04 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,892	Tim, I am not a silversmith, nor a jeweller, so I do not know terms as they are used in the trade. Within the trade, repousse and chasing could well carry the meanings you have given. However, in standard English usage, repousse means :- "Of metal work. Raised or beaten into relief, ornamented in relief, by means of hammering from the reverse side." (Oxford) Chasing of metal work is actually an abbreviation of "enchasing", and it means :- "To adorn metal with work embossed or engraved in relief." (Oxford). Thus, this silver work could be designated as chasing, since the motif incorporates embossing work as well as engraving work. The word comes from Middle English, and can be applied to not only ornamental metal work, but also other types of indentation or grooving, or to the cutting of a screw. However, common usage would see this work designated as "embossing". The word "emboss" can be used in a number of various applications, but the one that would concern this discussion is:- "To carve or mould in relief." (Oxford) The silver work under discussion has been produced by a combination of moulding the motif in relief by the use of punches, and by engraving some of the details. All the ornamentation has been applied to the face of the object, it has not been applied from behind. It could be referred to as embossed work, or as chased work, but in standard English usage it would be incorrect to refer to it as repousse. As a supplementary comment I will add this:- I have spent a lot of time watching the craftsmen of Kota Gede near Jogjakarta doing this work. It is truly amazing to watch these people, most of the time they seem to work automatically, without any apparent effort or concentration on the work. In one workshop that is owned by a friend of mine, there are perhaps 20 or more men all working alongside one another, as they work they will be smoking, and chatting about the weekend's football match, or how many fish they caught. Their attention is not directed at the work they are doing, except when they come to some difficult detail, the rest of the time they are looking everywhere else but at the job, and their hands seem to work independent of themselves. Sometimes they will work to a photograph or sketch, sometimes a motif is sketched onto the silver and they follow that, mostly they work from memory. They will be told to emboss something with such and such a motif, they will put small guide marks around the edge of the job to help them keep the correct distribution of the motif over the work area, then they will work freehand, using a variety of punches to apply the motif in relief.