July, 1919 
45 
Pierced Work 
Stamped Designs 
novelty that is not commonplace, but beauti¬ 
fying to our homes. 
A happy combination of brass and wood¬ 
work lent charm to the court of Empress 
Josephine. This is most decorative on dark 
mahogany or old English oak now so popular. 
Our craftsmen of today realize that well lac¬ 
quered brass and woodwork make an effective 
combination and that metal enrichments are 
the most permanent form of decoration. 
The unearthing of many a rare and sup¬ 
posedly out-of-existence model has enabled 
us to vary our standards by producing repro¬ 
ductions of many of the old ideas. It was 
many years ago that some 
old Empire molds, used 
before the Battle of 
Waterloo, were discov¬ 
ered casually, giving us 
a chance to recast clever¬ 
ly chased patterns and 
remount them into a de¬ 
lightful series. Old 
blocks stored away in 
odd corners have also 
been brought to light and 
from them many a popu¬ 
lar pattern has been 
wrought. Many of the 
old specimens that have 
been found in practically 
every country where the 
industrial arts have 
flourished furnish us 
with ideas that can be 
modified to satisfy the 
requirements of today. 
It is astonishing when 
we realize from what a 
number of sources ideas 
can be gathered, for there 
is scarcely a spot in the 
country from which in¬ 
spiration cannot be gath¬ 
ered. One of the most 
ingenious of our present- 
day craftsmen receives 
his inspiration from com¬ 
muning with nature! 
Truly, the modern artist- 
smith is vying with the 
master craftsman of long 
ago to produce wonderful 
examples of skill and workmanship in these days 
when hand-work is again coming into its own. 
> 
Legends and Old Hardware 
A m o n k sur¬ 
mounts these dec¬ 
orative handles 
Many of the old masterpieces have curious 
legends connected with them. One of the most 
interesting is that of the church of the Notre 
Dame in Paris, where the master locksmith 
Bicornet had agreed to supply the door with 
iron work by a certain day. He found that he 
had only twenty-four hours to complete the 
work, so he sold himself to the devil. Through 
the aid of this supernatural assistance, the door 
was finished in time. In one of the old doors, 
Bicornet introduced himself as a little man 
with two horns on his head and a fish’s tail. 
Thus metal work opens up a large field from 
which to collect for our homes. There are locks 
and keys of wrought and chased iron, filigree 
work cut in as if the material were as soft as 
ivory. W hile the type of house governs our 
selection of hardware, cast and wrought iron, 
bronze and brass have wonderful decorative 
possibilities that should not be overlooked. 
The standard finishes—natural, polished or 
dull, verte antique, lemon or brush brass— 
will depend upon the color of the wood to 
which this decorative hardware is attached. 
Pierced work, which is 
also much used today, 
was very much in vogue 
during the Elizabethan 
Period. The escutcheons 
were usually formed of 
an arabesque pattern, an 
elaborate design with 
straps interlacing one an¬ 
other, and bolts passing 
through them. These 
were surrounded by a 
frame and the edges were 
bent or notched to re¬ 
semble a roll of parch¬ 
ment. Other pieces of 
different character show 
there was a great varia¬ 
tion in type, as birds, 
masks, drapery and foliage were often intro¬ 
duced. These, however, were not treated in the 
relief foliated manner of the Italian, but in 
flat bands, such as are particularly suitable 
for metal work of this description. The hinge, 
particularly, was carefully designed, and as 
today, formed a decorative addition to the door. 
Such designs were of an ecclesiastical nature, 
and were used principally for church doors and 
colleges. Today, when architects are bringing 
out beautiful, highly finished doors, the crafts¬ 
man employs this method to give them an air 
of strength and stability that is artistically 
essential. 
Handle plates 
show a Tudor 
rose and thistle 
An entirely different character is found in 
the repousse or stamped work, which we fre¬ 
quently discover in all branches of metal deco¬ 
ration. This treatment has the advantage of 
being adaptable to choice designs. The Italian 
Renaissance style of ornamentation is particu¬ 
larly expressed in this style, as it shows marks, 
festoons, grotesque animals, entwined with and 
surrounded by foliated scrolls, catching every 
gleam of light, and adding an irresistible 
charm. The crispness of the scroll work, com¬ 
bined with its boldness of outline, lends to it a 
These strap 
hinges of pierced, 
stamped and 
wrought work 
were executed by 
Koralewsky 
in character, so equally balanced that no part 
of the groundwork stands out more promi¬ 
nently than the rest. 
Naturally different processes were employed 
by the craftsmen according to the nature of 
the metal, and the character of the design. 
Some of the simplest of these came into ex¬ 
istence during the 12th and 13th Centuries, 
and the reproductions today are particularly 
adaptable for our 20th Century homes. They 
were formed of one piece of iron, so cut and 
fashioned as to form a nail stem. This was 
cut, split and twisted into tendrils or other 
shapes while hot; when cool, it was ready to 
be affixed to the door 
with nails. There is a 
beauty in this style of 
pattern that justifies the 
reproducing of this old 
forged work. 
The 16th Century 
brought with it particu¬ 
larly beautiful bits, espe¬ 
cially escutcheons and 
door plates, often most 
ingenious and intricate 
in character, as well as 
elaborate in design. 
These also our clever 
craftsmen are reproduc¬ 
ing for our modern day 
requirements. 
The Italian Renaissance feeling is evident 
in this hinge designed by Koralewsky 
