A really nicely engraved piece. My retired jeweller friend tells me that this was probably a test piece for one of the apprentices, although not like a final exercise.
Copper was used because it was cheap and cuts easily like silver. The odd flowers, leaves and letters lend weight to the theory that someone was told to "give it a go" to see what they could do.
The lettering is beautifully squared off and the even depth of the cuts shows that this was not the work of a beginner.
Had the image been in reverse, it would have been for printing something.
You will be able to bring up the detail with a little liver of sulphur and then polish off the highlights with a a soft cloth. If done correctly, enough of the sulphur will remain in the cuts. A dark paint is another option but you won't get the detail.
|