Repousse

Repousse is a metalworking technique in which a design is formed in relief by hammering and punching a sheet of metal, most often silver, gold or copper, from the reverse side, so the design projects outward from the front face. It is frequently used together with the complementary technique of chasing, in which the same design is then refined and detailed by hammering fine lines and textures into the front face of the metal. The technique has an ancient and geographically wide history, documented in Bronze Age Europe, ancient Egypt and Persia, and Byzantine and medieval European metalwork, and it remains central to traditional metalworking across many cultures, from Andean pre-Columbian goldwork to Indian and Islamic decorative metal vessels. Because it works the metal cold, without casting or melting, repousse allows fine, controlled detail while preserving the strength and thinness of the original sheet.