See figs. 105, 248, 249, 252, 253, 255, 511, 550.
The process of fine detailed “cold work” after casting and that serves to correct or enhance the surface by removing and/or compressing metal using hand tools by punching, , and/or , and in modern times also with power and pneumatic tools.
Note: In common art historical usage, the term “chasing,” when used for sculpture, refers specifically to all of the steps taken to embellish the surface of the after fettling. Modern include the detailed process of removing and repairing . In decorative arts, on the other hand, chasing of gilt bronze refers to the steps taken after filing to embellish the surface by punching (compressing the metal using ), as opposed to .
Open viewer
Figure 105
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Figure 248
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Figure 249
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Figure 252
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Figure 253
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Figure 255
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Figure 511
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Figure 550
Sources
Cultural Heritage: Beale, Arthur. 1975. “A Technical View of Nineteenth-Century Sculpture.” In Metamorphoses in Nineteenth-Century Sculpture, 28–55. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.; Penny, Nicholas. 1993. The Materials of Sculpture. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press., 298; Dillon, Jo. 2002. “Technical Reports” and “Glossary of Technical Terms.” In Avery, Victoria, Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 276–88, 299–303. London: Daniel Katz Ltd.; Gli Ori., 299; Bassett, Jane. 2008. The Craftsman Revealed: Adriaen de Vries, Sculptor in Bronze. Los Angeles: Getty Conservation Institute. https://www.getty.edu/publications/virtuallibrary/9780892369195.html., 274
Art and Craft Textbooks: Rome, Richard, and Hamish Young. 2003. Fine Art Metal Casting: An Illustrated Guide to Mould Making and Lost Wax Processes. London: Robert Hale., 273; Untracht, Oppi. 1982. Jewelry: Concepts and Technology. London: Robert Hale., 122
Other: Van Langh, Robert. 2012. “Technical Studies of Renaissance Bronzes: The Use of Neutron Imaging and Time-of-Flight Neutron Diffraction in the Studies of the Manufacture and Determination of Historical Copper and Alloys.” PhD diss., Delft University of Technology. http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:3898ae1c-7934-4d85-a0db-628760739b50.
To Be Distinguished From
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chiseling
-
engraving
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fettling
In modern foundries, fettling may be carried out by the founder using power tools, whereas “chasing” refers to finer work carried out by a specialized person—the chaser—preferentially with hand tools.
-
punching
Translations
French:
ciselure
Opérations servant à la fois à masquer les imperfections de fonderie et ajouter ou rehausser certains éléments décoratifs, lors desquelles une grande panoplie d’outils est susceptible d’être mise en œuvre (limes, ciseaux, ciselets, burins, etc).
Note: Le terme a un sens plus général que celui utilisé par les orfèvres et monteurs en bronze, pour qui la ciselure désigne exclusivement le travail réalisé au ciselet (Félibien, André. 1690. Des principes de l’architecture, de la sculpture, de la peinture et des autres arts qui en dépendent: Avec un dictionnaire des termes propres à chacun de ces arts. 2nd ed. Paris: Chez la veuve de Jean Baptiste Coignard et Chez Jean Baptiste Coignard fils. https://archive.org/details/principesdelarch00fl., 337; De Bois, Guy. 1999. La ciselure et ses techniques. Paris: H. Vial.), par opposition à la (Hamm, Georges. 1924. Manuel du bronze d’art, ciselure et gravure. Paris: Librairie J.-B. Baillière et fils., 269; De Bois, Guy. 1999. La ciselure et ses techniques. Paris: H. Vial.). Aujourd’hui en fonderie d’art, si la comprend tout le gros œuvre sur le bronze au sortir du (opération de décochage), souvent exécuté à l’outil tournant, la ciselure n’intervient qu’après et est le fait d’un savoir-faire spécifique.
To Be Distinguished From
-
ciseler
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parachèvement
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réparage
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réparure
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travail au ciseau
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ébarbage
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ébavurage
Sources
Cultural Heritage: Baudry, Marie Thérèse, and Dominique Bozo. 1978. La sculpture: Méthode et vocabulaire. Principes d’analyse scientifique. Paris: Impr. nationale., 633
Historical: Boffrand, Germain. 1743. Description de ce qui a été pratiqué pour fondre en bronze d’un seul jet la figure équestre de Louis XIV, élevée par la ville de Paris dans la place de Louis le Grand, en 1699. Paris: Guillaume Cavelier. https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010863229/page/n3., 59; Diderot, Denis, Jean le Rond d’Alembert et al. 1751. Encyclopédie; ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. 17 vols. Paris: Briasson. http://enccre.academie-sciences.fr/encyclopedie/., 3:480, entry « ciseler »
Art and Craft Textbooks: De Bois, Guy. 1999. La ciselure et ses techniques. Paris: H. Vial., 16; Rama, Jean-Pierre. 1988. Le bronze d’art et ses techniques. Dourdan, France: Editions H. Vial., 328
Alternate Translation
- ciselure-réparure
German:
ziselieren
Sources
Maaz, Bernhard. 2010. Skulptur in Deutschland zwischen französischer Revolution und erstem Weltkrieg. Berlin and Munich: Deutscher Kunstverlag., 744; Alscher, Ludger, ed. 1987. Lexikon der Kunst: Architektur, Bildende Kunst, Angewandte Kunst, Industrieformgestaltung, Kunsttheorie. Vol. 1. Leipzig, Germany: E. A. Seemann., 555
Italian:
rifinitura
Not reserved specifically for metals
Sources
“Treccani - La Cultura Italiana - Enciclopedia.” n.d. Accessed April 4, 2023. https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/., under fusione; Battaglia, S. 1961. Grande dizionario della lingua italiana. Edited by Giorgio Bárberi Squarotti. Turin, Italy: Unione tipografico-editrice torinese. http://www.gdli.it/., under rifinitura [definition 2]; Formigli, Edilberto. 2010. “La storia della tecnologia dei grandi bronzi.” In La lupa capitolina: Nuove prospettive di studio: Incontro-dibattito in occasione della pubblicazione del volume di Anna Maria Carruba, La lupa capitolina: Un bronzo medievale: Sapienza, Università di Roma, Roma 28 febbraio 2008, edited by Gilda Bartoloni, 15–24. Supplementi e monografie della rivista Archeologia classica 5. Roma: L’Erma di Bretschneider., 17 and 20f
Alternate Translations
-
rinettare (v.)
Source: Cellini, Benvenuto. (1568) 1983. Due Trattati: Uno Intorno Alle Otto Principali Arti Dell’oreficeria: L’altro in Materia Dell’arte Della Scultura, Dove Si Veggono Infiniti Segreti Nel Lavorar Le Figure Di Marmo, & Nel Gettarle Di Bronzo. Edited by Antonio Altomonte. Modena: Edizioni Aldine., 1, fol. 18v, 38f
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cesellare
Source: Battaglia, S. 1961. Grande dizionario della lingua italiana. Edited by Giorgio Bárberi Squarotti. Turin, Italy: Unione tipografico-editrice torinese. http://www.gdli.it/., under cesellare [vol. 3, 13]
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ritocco a freddo (ritocco a freddo di dettagli)
Source: Formigli, Edilberto. 2010. “La storia della tecnologia dei grandi bronzi.” In La lupa capitolina: Nuove prospettive di studio: Incontro-dibattito in occasione della pubblicazione del volume di Anna Maria Carruba, La lupa capitolina: Un bronzo medievale: Sapienza, Università di Roma, Roma 28 febbraio 2008, edited by Gilda Bartoloni, 15–24. Supplementi e monografie della rivista Archeologia classica 5. Roma: L’Erma di Bretschneider., 20f