Period Style Hardware

Here is the last piece we are going to be featuring from our friendly neighbor’s house.  This is another beautiful example of how gorgeous an embossed piece can be with the right talent.  This is not an art form for the beginner.  In fact, many experienced artists don’t take the time to learn it since it can be so tedious and time consuming.  The ones that do learn it and take the time to make it their specialty really do end up producing some absolutely stunning works of art.

This embossed copper door knob is most likely done by the same artist as the Fleur de Lis piece.  It is a much later design, featuring many more advanced techniques and showing off a lot more skill than it’s predecessor.  It is also possible that this piece was created by the master if it was part of an apprenticeship, which is still quite common in the area of metal working.  Unlike olden times, apprenticeships come with much better pay, and the schedules as well as all workers involved are much more lenient, as most of them have employment standards that must be followed.

This piece has nearly four times as much detail as the other piece, and while some people may think that this piece was an example of engraving, if you look closely at the edges of the design, they are slightly softer than the hard edges created by a chisel and hammer.  These smooth transitions are a clear indicator of embossing.  Another giveaway is the location of the design.  Many embossed pieces, especially door knobs, choose to add the decoration to the edge of the piece.  This helps the design hold up longer than if it were in the middle.  Since the piece is created from back to front, with the back being hollow, there is a greater risk of denting and damaging the design, so placement is crucial.