subject: Duplicates And Brassing [print this page] Hobbies do not necessarily have to be easy and this concept is true for the brassing activity which is done by one couple although they say that the rewards are incomparable. For them to introduce you to brassing you should be polite in asking. In brassing, you are taking the 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 transfer them on paper to reproduce works of art that are ideal for exhibits.
The process doesn't sound difficult, but the couple insists that it is. They were stationed in England for four years up until about a year ago when they were transferred to an Air Force base. 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. What happened when they reached England is they became fond of brassing which was somewhat popular there but unheard of in the United States.
Placing them on tombs or the floors of nearby churches, in the 13th Century was when the upper class English began to honor their dead by having flat brass portraits engraved. The image is recreated when special black paper is placed over the brasses and is rubbed with a special gold colored wax bar which looks like a bar of soap.
There is an image recreated as the wax rubs off on the paper following the ridges in the brass. Other than a duplicate brass, the couple also brought back 200 paper images from the original monument. Dying in battle in 1277 was Sir John d' Abernon and his was the brass that the couple treasures most. This is the earliest known brass, and is so popular with people who take rubbings that appointments were booked months ahead of time.
What the Vicars in charge of the brasses were strict about as the couple said was only permitting those who have experience to make duplicates of the brasses. Due to the actions of some Americans that brought back duplicates and then sold them in New York for $2,000 each the English are now stricter when it comes to allowing people to make duplicates even requiring them to sign waivers that state the absence of any intent to sell.
Considering the large number initially put down from 1250 to 1650, about 8,000 monuments remain. What these brasses were able to do was to reveal the clues from the monuments thereby allowing the historians to trace the development of armor, clothing, and lifestyle as well. 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.
You could say that art is not as advanced in the US so only a few brasses can be found here. Producing copies of etchings on tombstones, decorative engravings, and manhole covers is possible through rubbing. The couple needed four hours to finish the rubbing of Sir d' Abernon but it is still an enjoyable hobby. Several schools and art shows have asked the couple to display their rubbings there.
