Engraving styles and pics.

[Barry Lee Hands]

A friend asked me to do a post on basic engraving styles and sample pics. Some of it you have seen before on other threads. Here it is.

There are as many names for differing varieties of scroll as there are engravers and engraving collectors, but I will do what I can to share some of the knowledge I have gleaned from others through thirty odd years of studying ornament and its history to put names that I would use on the styles in the following photos..If you have other names or descriptions for these, please share them. . . .

Acanthus on a Manton circa 1819:


Acanthus by Harry Kell:



Acanthus with multi color gold inlay by Ken Hunt circa 1954, RH lockplate:
Acanthus with multi color gold inlay by Lynton S.M. MacKenzie circa 1970,LH lockplate:
Ken's work on the upper lockplate exhibits a celtic influence in the perforated ribbon incorporated in the scroll stem.


A negative of a smoke pull of Acanthus by Barry Lee Hands 2001:


Arabesque Damascene, actually made in Damascus, from the Madrassa of the Ali Hussien Mosque in Cairo, circa 1350:


Modern Japanese Damascene work:


Arabesque by Barry Lee Hands, contemporary:


Roman vine ornament from the early Christian era, probably chiseled by immigrant Greek craftsman. It bears a strong resemblance to modern Germanic and Arabesque ornament.


American vine scroll, Gustave Young school:


Germanic small scroll by Griebel, mid 1900’s:



Detail of Germanic scroll by Joseph Fugger, early 1960’s:


English scroll on a Kavanagh, some may call this large scroll in the context of English style.


Boss rose and scroll, or bouquet and scroll with running scroll border by Barry Lee Hands for a David Trevallion restoration:


I would call this an open vine scroll, it is an Acanthus variation. I would like to hear anyones opinions of the proper term and date for this style:


And this is more of the same, on a Westley Richards?


Acanthus with clamshell terminus and Celtic rope border:


Well worn Birmingham English scroll with open scroll elements, running scroll lockplate border and open vine with rose bud action border:


The same piece restored:


Work by Francesca Fracassi. The style is Fracassi, as developed by Firmo Fracassi. The tool used to execute it is a Bulino tool.


Detail:


Bulino work tiger by creative arts with chiseled and relieved laurel, or olive derived leafwork:



Etched and punched sculpted work by Barry lee Hands:


Multicolor Inlay by Barry Lee Hands 2008:

[jlseymour]

WOW!!! Berry, thanks I needed that...
Jerry

[Tim Wells]

I'd like to spend a few days up there going through your photo collection.

[Zernike Au]

Thanks Barry, you are the best!

***Just my opinion, I may wrong, be open-mind and don't be offended!***
It is far much better than spending expensive money (when compared with other tutorial drawing books) to buy a book which showing most the drawing of the author, that book shows mostly one style (the author's style) to draw different style of scrolls. This may lead the readers to follow his style, not quite good in teaching and learning.....especially for those readers who don't have too much experience in art, design and drawing! I treat that book as the author's drawing album, excellent works! I like it! But not for my learning of different styles of scrolls. I prefer to see the original style, orignal engraving from original country.

Barry, your turorials, your photos, your efforts... all togehter is really the greatest engraving book in this world. No other commercial available book (except Meeks ‘The art of Engraving’ book) can compare with yours. I hope one day you will have your own great book available in the market. Sure I will buy it no matter how expensive it is, and sign it for me please!

Regarding the open vine scroll of a Purdey you mentioned, I saw another Purdey which is almost the same as yours. The book is "British Gun Engraving", recommended by Martin Strolz from Austria (also an excellent teacher). On page 19, it's caption is: A percussian Purdey, circa 1929, has barrels by Charles Lancaster, engraved by Peter Gumbrell.
I don't know if the book mentioned about the style becasue I just spend my time in "smelling" all the excellent photos, I don't have time to read the text!!!

Hope this may help.

Thanks again for sharing.

Zernike

[Dave London]

Thanks Barry
Excellent and informative

[mike koller]

I agree, this awesome and much thanks to you for posting.

Work by Francesca Fracassi. The style is Fracassi, as developed by Firmo Fracassi. The tool used to execute it is a Bulino tool.

I am off to find as much as possibly on this style, any help on finding printed and web information would be greatly appreciated.

[Tom McArdle]

Thanks Barry for the great info and pics!

I'll add a bit.

here are a few pics of a "Bailey" double percussion set of lockplates I restored the engraving on a while back. I'm guessing they are from the mid 1800's. You see a lot of the open, no background scroll type of work on early colts, esp. the Patterson models. The Colt engraving was not like this though.










I was also very interested in the early vine caving you showed. The vine and leaf motif is becoming a favorite of mine. I've seen it on a Swiss Militia rifle from around 1830, on up through Colt handguns into the early 20th century.

Here is a version I did on a Winchester 1873, adapted from an original engraving found on an 1894 rifle.




Thanks for a great thread!

take care,

Tom

[rod]

Barry,

Thank you for this splendid and informative posting, and for your additions, Tom!

best

Rod

[Zernike Au]

May I add...

Two different style found on the pocket watch that I restored, seldom see such style on gun or knife, maybe a European (English) style, I have no idea???


Some of the pattern are machine made, I always wonder how machine made pattern can combine with hand engraving in this kind of style.




This pattern is very small and rather deep..."anti-wear"....

Zernike

[Barry Lee Hands]

Thanks for all the great comments.
Tom, I really like that period looking work you did there. Very appropriate.
Zernike, I really dont know a lot about watch engraving, I would like to know more. That strikes me as continental in style, but I am not sure. I would like to hear J.C.'s opinion on that piece.

[Peter]

Thanks for taking the time to post some fine engraving and descriptions Barry.

Also, I love the pattern on that Winchester 1873 Tom.

Peter

[Tom McArdle]

Thanks Peter and Barry.

Tom

[ihsfab]

Barry the one of Dan look great!:whoo:

[mondo]

i always see people get a Q-tip and put some kind of solution on the engraving and the background goes dark. What is that ?

[SEngraver]

Thank you Barry for the beautiful pictures.
It was a joy to see all of them.

SE

[Roger Bleile]

Originally Posted by mondo

i always see people get a Q-tip and put some kind of solution on the engraving and the background goes dark. What is that ?

Most likely just some oil.

[Mcahron]

Awsome