A Brassing Activity

A Brassing Activity

A Brassing Activity

For one couple, the art of brassing is a hobby that others may not find to be easy but they highly stress out that the rewards are somewhat grand. If you ask them nicely they may actually tell you what it is all about. Providing art that could be displayed is brassing as images from the flat metal figures seen in tombs, images in churches in stones, as well as any other decor from 13th to 17th Century England are transferred onto pieces of paper.

A process like this is not as simple as it appears to be, according to the couple. It was about a year ago when the couple was moved to an Air Force base from England where they stayed for four years. From the antique collecting exploits of this couple, a hobby of theirs, they have been able to get plenty of antique furniture, dishes, utensils, and other items. This is not an ordinary thing in most parts of the United States but in England brassing was popular and the couple grew fond of it when they were there.

It started in the 13th Century when the upper class English made use of flat brass portraits to honor their dead and these were engraved then placed on tombs or in church floors. The process involves transferring an image by placing special black paper over the brasses and then using a gold colored wax bar to rub against it.

Wherever there are ridges in the brass the wax rubs off on the paper and the image appears. For the couple, they were able to bring back 200 paper images as well as a duplicate brass from the original monument. When it comes to the brass they treasure most, this was of Sir John d' Abernon who died in battle in 1277. This is the earliest known brass, and is so popular with people who take rubbings that appointments were booked months ahead of time.

For the couple, they noticed how only the people who had experience were allowed by the Vicars in charge of the brasses to duplicate brasses. Before duplicates can be made the English requires a waiver to be signed saying that none of the duplicates will be sold and this resulted from the incident involving a bunch of Americans who went there and made duplicates of the brass bringing them home and selling them for $2,000 each in New York.

Only 8,000 monuments remain from the large number that was originally put down from 1250 to 1650. Aside from being able to trace the development of armor and clothing historians have also been able to trace the development of lifestyle through these brasses as they unlocked clues from the monuments. Aside from finding out that a lion pictured at the feet of a knight means that he died in battle, they were also able to determine that a hound at someone's feet meant that he liked to hunt with dogs.

In the US the art is just catching on, although there are very few brasses in this country. When it comes to rubbing this can be used to copy decorative engravings, manhole covers, and even etchings on tombstones. A hobby like this is still enjoyable even if the couple needed four hours to complete the rubbing of Sir d' Abernon. There have been invitations by art shows and several schools for the couple to display their rubbings.

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