Brass

32The brassware industry was the most important industries in Damascus and there is a special shop for this industry that is used to be called AlnhacenmarketinKing Faisal Streetin Damascus that is specialized for making handmade copper pots where the dealers used to import copper plates from Europe and hammer it in the shops and make different brassware based on its need. This industry remained a popular and profitable generating a lot of wealth for their masters to a time not so long ago.

This industry has lost its benefits after the 1st World War as some traders brought from Europe specials techniques of copper pots manufacture which reduced the need for labors when Europe began to import to us aluminum pots for cooking. Then different types of non-breaking solid cups and dishes appeared in the market. The plastic industry spread also affected the masters’ wealth of the brassware industry.

Its main material is the red and yellow copper sheets in different thickness.

  • Copper Engraving:

31Copper patterning fully depends on hand-writing and ornamental drawing which its experts should learn first. This craft concentrates on Arabic ornamentalinscriptions, portray of people and historical incidents such as the important battles in the history of the Arab world and important historical figures and drawings of birds and wild animals.

The raw materials of this industry are red and yellow copper plates with thickness ranging between 7 – 8 dosem to 1.5 mm. This craft has several sections such as engraving, cavity, inlaying with silver and gold, compressing and perforation

We strengthen the copper back plate with asphalt in order to facilitate the engraving process and then we draw and stripe using a chisel and hammer to take the final required shape.

  • Copper Inlaying:

30The ornamentation and inscriptions process begins after selecting the desired form of pot, and then we draw the inscriptions using special steel pens, hammer and anvil. Then we wipe it well so that it returns to original status and we isolate it with waxy substance that is not affected by acid. After that, the artist draws over this waxy substance using sharp pen and determines the required shape allowing the arrival of acid to the body of the metal over the scratching or drawing. Then he dips the pot in the acid nitrogen and leaves it so that the cracks get back to its normal shape. Having dislodged the piece of acid washed and dried silver strings are installed in these cracks and the ways that light it takes its rightful place and call this method with silver vaccination

Another way is called the pressure on the copper where it is digging the exterior of the element or decorative linear and hammering aroundit even highlights the section of the internal decoration.

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