subject: Brass Duplication Restricted to Experience People [print this page] Brass Duplication Restricted to Experience People
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. Should you wonder what brassing is you should ask them nicely to know about it. The process of brassing takes images of the flat metal figures commonly seen in tombs, images in stones in churches, and other decorative pieces from 13th to 17th Century England and transfers them to paper to make artwork that could be exhibited.
In this case, it may sound pretty simple but the couple stress how difficult the process could be. England was home to this couple for four years until about a year ago when they were moved to an Air Force base. Aside from antique dishes and utensils, this couple who is very interested in collecting antiques has also been able to acquire antique furniture and other items as well. When it comes to the United States, brassing is not an everyday thing but when the couple was in England they grew interested in this highly popular activity.
To honor their dead the upper class English resorted to the use of engraved flat brass portraits that they would usually place on the tombs or on church floors. Placed over the brasses is special black paper that is then rubbed by a special gold colored wax bar that result to an image being recopied.
When it comes to producing an image the wax rubs off on the paper according to ridges in the brass. 200 paper images as well as a duplicate brass were brought back from the original monument by the couple. Sir John d' Abernon died in 1277 in battle and his brass was what the couple treasures most. Not only is this the earliest known brass but to accommodate the people who want to take rubbings bookings were made months in advance.
It is not that simple of a process to duplicate brasses for the Vicars in charge of the brasses only allowed those with experience to do so. Duplicates of brass were sold for $2,000 each in New York and this caused outrage for the English who are now stricter when it comes to making these duplicates requiring those interested in doing so to first sign a waiver that says that they will not be involved in the selling of these duplicates.
Out of the large number that was actually put down from 1250 to 1650, there are only 8,000 remaining monuments. Tracing the development of armor, clothing, and lifestyle all became possible after the historians were able to find clues from the monuments by means of these brasses. Other than discovering how a lion pictured at the feet of a knight means that he died in battle, they were also able to find out that a hound at someone's feet meant that he liked to hunt with dogs.
A new concept in the country that is the US is brassing considering how art is just catching up. Using rubbing can result in reproduced images of etchings on tombstones, decorative engravings, and manhole covers. Such a fun activity is what it is even if the rubbing of Sir d' Abernon took the couple four hours to complete. Several schools and art shows have asked the couple to display their rubbings there.
