Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/586

BEFOTTSSfi 500 REPPLIEB Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1570), in this branch of art, is the most cekbrated. Common work of this kind, as for tea or coffee pots, is executed in pewter and Britannia metal, and then electrotyped. This art, as practiced by the silver- smith and artist, is almost entirely de- pendent on the manual dexterity of the operator. The kind of repousse here suggested depends more on appliances than skill. It is not, however, assumed that any set of devices can be made to serve in lieu of taste and judgment. To carry out this method, a piece of heavy cotton lace, or heavy openwork fabric, or a piece of a basket may be glued to a block of hard wood to serve as a sort of die for producing the im- pression in the metal. The fabric or basket work is not only attached to the block by means of glue, but its finer inter- stices are filled with glue, so as to present a surface resembling the original fabric only in the most general way. When the glue is perfectly dry and hard, the die is laid on a solid foundation, and a piece of very thin, soft copper or brass is secured to the block so as to cover the lace. A piece of cork about one-quarter inch thick and about three inches wide and six or eight inches long is laid over the metal, and struck with a mallet. The cork yields sufiiciently to push the metal down on the die, and cause it to take the pattern of the lace or whatever is used in forming the die. A piece of rather hard rubber packing will answer this purpose in nearly all respects as well as the cork. Designs may be cut from strong paper or pasteboard and glued to the block, or a stencil design may be sawed from hard wood. The lines and scrolls are discon- tinued in places, so as to cause the wood to hold together. If it is desired to ren- der the lines continuous at these points, they may be run through with a V-tool. Dots are picked out with a small gouge or with the point of a revolving drill. In all these cases the metal is attached to the block and treated as above. Either panels or continuous strips may be embossed in the manner described, and these are to be_ used in making frames, vases, and various ornamental objects. If the metal is too thin for a certain case, it may be strengthened by flowing soft solder over the back of the plate by means of a soldering iron. As to finish, any of the several well known methods of oxidizing or lacquering may be em- ployed. Bas-reliefs may easily be made by a method which is a modification of the one described. To a wooden frame is fitted a board. on which is drawn in outline the sign which is to be produced in relief. The board may be of pine or any close- grained, soft wood for lead work; but for brass or copper, the v/ood should be hard. To the frame is attached the plate of metal by means of screws. The board is removed from the frame, and the portion of the design which is to form the most prominent feature of the relief is sawed out of the board, when the latter is re- placed in the frame, and the metal is forced into the opening of the board by pressing on the surface of the lead oppo- site the hole in the board, or by pound- ing it by means of the mallet. As soon as this feature is complete, the next in order is sawed out of the board, and the operation is repeated till all of the gen- eral features are developed. The prog- ress of the work can be observed at any time by removing the board. The features may be corrected or modified by working from either side of the plate by means of the convex mallet and the wooden punches and chisels. If a support is desired for any part while the work is progressing, a stout bag filled with sand may be placed under the part. A few very small bags, say 1 inch or 1*/^ inches in diameter, will be found convenient. If desired, the dra- pery of the background may be chased by means of hard wood or metal punches, bearing the desired figures. The relief, if of lead, looks well with an antique finish. This may be secured by rubbing the prominent portions of the relief with fine emery cloth, then going over the entire surface with a swab formed of a small roll of cotton cloth encircled by a coil of copper wire, the swab being dipped in dilute nitric acid before application to the relief. The copper is dissolved and deposited on the bright prominent portions, while a dark deposit is made in the hollows, which when dry has a green tinge. To give the work the appearance of antique iron the surface may be black- ened by the application of a solution of sulphuret of potassium and the prom- inent portions may be semi-polished by briskly rubbing the entire surface with a piece of canvas or Brussels carpet. REPPLIER, AGNES, an American es- sayist; born in Philadelphia in 1859. Her published works include: "Books and Men"; "Points of View"; "In the Dozy Hours"; "Essays in Idleness"; "Essays in Miniature"; "Varia"; and "Philadelphia: the Place and the Peo- ple." She also compiled a "Book of Famous Verse," "Americans and Others" and "The Cat" (1912).