In exchange
A damascening is an ornament made of nonferrous metals - or precious metal - inlay (deposits) in metallic surfaces. A distinction is made between lines and areas inlaid . The expression is derived from the Arabic word for dyeing tauschija . Earlier names for this art are Tausia or Agémina .
history
First attempts at inlaidation have been handed down from the Bronze Age , for example on ritual axes or the Nebra Sky Disc (around 1600 BC) and the Trundholm Sun Chariot (around 1400 BC). This art later found wider distribution, especially in Asia . For example, the Avar- era inlaid works of the 6th and 7th centuries show either a contrasting effect between the dark carrier material made of iron and silver threads or a contrast between the silver recipient and the dark inlay. The majority of the objects come from the Early and Middle Avar Period; These are parts of the belt set, but also horse harness such as fittings, bridles and stirrups.
In Europe , inking in the Merovingian period , especially in the 7th century , was in high bloom among the Alamanni , Franks and Thuringians . Mainly weapon parts , belt buckles and fittings , armor and bridles were decorated . In graves dating back to the 5th century, iron belt buckles with silver inlaid stripes are found, belt clasps with rectangular fittings and close-meshed lattice patterns made of thin silver and brass threads or ring inlaid, or iron belt pull-throughs with stripes or lattice inlaid with thorn ends from sword edges.
A gradual change in costumes and general taste can be ascertained: In the older Merovingian period, as is evident from the grave finds mentioned, belt jewelry was limited to simple buckles made of iron , bronze or precious metal, while belts used for defensive hangings were shoes or bridle, was barely trimmed with metal, a new fashion had already set in around the year 600: there was a tendency to equip the previously unused straps with metal fittings, and found it among the men in the realms of the Merovingian kings An increasingly martial-looking costume with large, richly inlaid iron belt trimmings was common, as numerous grave finds impressively prove.
Today, only a few goldsmiths and art blacksmiths are still producing in exchange .
technology
The technical implementation involves the attachment of a softer, usually color-contrasting metal in a harder metal by pressing, lightly driving or hammering into undercut depressions. In the workpiece to be decorated with a stylus or chisel ( Schrotpunze the desired pattern as to cut downwards slightly widening wells).
With inlaid lines, wires or ribbons made of brass , bronze , silver or gold are inserted and hammered into the narrow depressions . By displacing the metal into the undercut indentation at the edge of the indentation, the insert is clamped firmly in the indentation.
For surface inlaidation, metal platelets adapted to the depressions are hammered into the large depressions. To do this, the workpiece must be made of a harder metal than the inlay metal. In addition to the conical deepening of the edges, the floor is roughened . Finally, the entire surface is ground flat and polished . According to their metal color, the inlays stand out clearly from the surrounding metal.
In the case of sheet metal inlays, the edges of the depressions are drawn with punch marks, the surface is roughened with punch marks or tooth marks. The roughened structures are missing on some of the found objects, these are sheet metal inlays.
Since a flat inlaid work is also an inlay, one cannot speak of “ plating ” (plating = overlay). When cladding, the roughness of the surface is less pronounced.
Investigation and restoration
X-rays are best for examining the nature of plastering work , as they reveal details that would not be visible to the naked eye. So you can see that the wires, which are inserted into the inlaid, are "twisted" (spirally twisted) or drawn. Pulling means that a previously forged metal rod is pulled through the holes of a drawing iron until the wire is drawn to the desired thickness. With twisting, on the other hand, a wire is made by cutting a thin sheet of sheet metal from a very thinly hammered sheet of silver and then rolling it into a wire.
Inlaid objects from archaeological finds are mostly covered by a more or less thick layer of rust due to their storage in the ground for over a thousand years. Silver and iron are in direct contact with the soil acids in the earth, which means that local electrical currents flow between these different metals. This electrolysis transforms the less noble iron into iron oxide, which means that it rusts. As a result, the silver inlays are only surrounded by iron oxide. During the restoration, this rust must be carefully removed with rotating diamond grinding tools or ultrasonic vibrating pens.
literature
- Wilfried Menghin (Ed.): Exchange work of the Merovingian period. Museum of Prehistory and Early History, National Museums in Berlin - Prussian Cultural Heritage. Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-88609-200-3 .
- Jochem Wolters: On the history of goldsmithing techniques. Texts, images, analyzes. Special publication of gold + silver - watches + jewelry. Leinfelden-Echterdingen, undated (approx. 1985).
- Orsolya Heinrich-Tamaska: Studies on the Avar period swapping work . Wagner, Innsbruck 2004, ISBN 3-7030-0392-8 .
- Benno Urbon: The fine art of exchanging in Alemanni and Franconia: Investigations into technology and a catalog of all exchanged finds in Württemberg and Hohenzollern. Society for Prehistory and Early History in Württemberg and Hohenzollern, Stuttgart 1997.
