Florentine engraving is one of the important jewelry techniques, which has firstly appeared in
- Engraving on gold cigarette case
- Working with burin
The important tool used in order to create a distinctive piece called burin. Medieval goldsmiths used the burin to engrave thin layers of metal, usually silver, then filled the carved lines with a black substance - niello( nigellum) to bring out the design.
In the 15th century artists such as Andrea Mantegna, Martin Schongauer and Albrecht Durer engraved their drawings directly onto the copper giving the burin an autonomous expressive role. They raised engraving from a minor craft to a major art form. Their works: «Saint Anthony tormented by demons» (Schongauer), «Bacchanal with a Wine Vat» (Mantegna), «Adam and Eve» (Durer) show us the excellent craftsmanship;
- Engravings of the 15-16th century, from left to right: «Saint Anthony tormented by demons» (Andrea Mantegna), «Bacchanal with a Wine Vat» (Martin Schongauer), «Adam and Eve» (Albrecht Dürer).
Masterfully engraved lines create a vivid linear pattern against the white background, the figures highlighted by a three dimensional presence, evolved a technique of shading engravings with shirt lines of varying width. Their masterpieces contain an almost unimaginable density of fine distinct lines, form, texture and shading simultaneously.
- Hand engraving burins
Today general principals of engraving are still the same, but engravers have additional opportunities to simplify their painstaking labor.
- Preliminary drawing
- Signet Ring & Watch-case engraving
As far as the Florentine engraving has appeared in a jewelry environ, the pieces of jewelry art are the most ubiquitous objects of this type of decoration: rings, pendants, brooches, cigaret cases, business card holders, silver handbags and so on. In gun production this technic is also has a great demand. Hand engraving of all steel elements of the gan: butt, shutter and even chamber - is preferable and highly revered by true connoisseurs of high art weapons, considered as an attribute of luxury and a sign of good taste.
- Rifle engraving art