Repoussé / Repousse

The ancient art of embossing or pressing shapes into metal to create a design.

This process has been used for thousands of years to make everything from jewelry to religious Icons.

It's almost a lost art nowadays.

Repousse - Hand embossed metal

I've always liked ancient art and metal art. I used to work as a metal fabricator for a company that made a large variety of products from metal. I enjoyed the job and learned a lot about working with metal. I had wanted to do repousse for a long time but it was so different and I didn't' know where to start. One day after going to see the Russian Nomads exhibit in Denver, I decided to start experimenting with repousse and soon was making my own. I started doing repousse work in 1990. I start with a thin piece of Brass. I draw the design on with pencil and then use a variety of small tools and a rubber block to add each shape into the metal. Some shapes are hammered in and some are done with hand pressure. The design is worked into the metal from both sides, one bend at a time. If a mistake is made it's usually permanent, the metal is not forgiving! After the tool work, I use volcanic pumice, acids and polish to finish the surface. They take a while to do but its the only way I know of to make them. I don't do them very often but they are rewarding when they come out right.

How it's done

Photos of my embossing tools and some different stages in the Repoussé process.

Markings I never put my name directly on my repoussé work, only marks.

These are not registered hallmarks, they are simply a way to permanently mark my metalwork in a way that doesn't ruin the design. I'm proud of my repousse but I think a name on some of this kind of artwork is too distracting. How the piece looks is sometimes more important to me than getting instant recognition.

Some of my older repousse work

Ancient Robot	Egyptian Goddess Isis	Babylonian King
Etruscan Chariot	African Mask	Christ Icon
Byzantine Eagle	Russian Nomad Leopard	Czarist Double Eagle
Russian Czar pin	Medieval Maiden	Early style Imperial Russian Eagle
German Knight and Maiden	Babylonian Priest	Native American Sunrise.

Pieces made after 2004

Viking Compass	Wind in my sail	Engraved Vegvisir
Electric Kiss	Thor's Hammer	Wind in her hair
Stone of Blood	Blue Truth	Denmark in my blood
Celtic Impulse	Nordic Guidance	Mjölnir
Greek Satyr	Aegishjalmur	Hippocampus