Bearing Gifts

Christmas is but one month from today!  Enter three "wise men"—following a star, seeking the truth, bearing their gifts. Though we usually envision the "kings" carrying grandly theatrical and precious canisters (holding the gold, frankincense and myrrh), in truth, the travelers probably carried caskets or covered vessels that were far more modest—like the copper canister shown above.  Though humble, this canister exhibits the skill of a talented artisan—who hammered the piece freehand, from a single ingot of copper, using only a hammer, tongs and an anvil.  No mould or form was used—just a variety of hammers with differing peens—and the craftsman needed to 1) raise the piece from the ingot, 2) create a balanced form in the correct shape, 3) create vessel walls of uniform thickness, and 4) finish the piece with an attractive hammered surface.  This little canister is one of several pieces of hand-hammered copper currently offered in our on-line store.  Please click on the photo above to learn more about it.