Repousse

Repousse is a technique in which a piece of metal in a sheet form is hammered from behind to raise up a design in the front. Gold and silver are generally used in making jewelry and other small objects, but copper and other metals have been used for making large structures. An example of a large structure made using repousse is the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The word repousse comes from French and means to push. Although the name is French, the process dates back to ancient times and has been found in the art of various diverse cultures. The earliest examples were made in the Middle East about 5000 years ago. It has been found among the objects in ancient Egyptian tombs and was used in designing the armour of ancient Greek soldiers. It has been used by artists in India and the Far East for centuries in making jewelry and bowls. Archaeologists have found examples of repousse in the mounds of the Mound Dwellers who preceded the Indians in the Midwestern USA.
The pendant in this picture is the focal point of a necklace made by the Beadshaper. More detail about the necklace can be seen at Beadshaper Repousse .
The Beadshaper teaches classes in Repousee. See Beadshaper Classes for details.