Brass rubbing: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|British craft of reproducing onto paper commemorative brass plaques}} |
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{{globalize/UK|date=December 2010}} |
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{{More footnotes|date=May 2010}} |
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[[File:Palmes Otley.jpg|thumbnail|Brass rubbing of a memorial showing the alliance of the Lindley and Palmes family, [[Otley]] Church, Yorkshire]] |
[[File:Palmes Otley.jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.1|Brass rubbing of a memorial showing the alliance of the Lindley and Palmes family, [[Otley]] Church, West Yorkshire]] |
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[[File:Roger and Agnes Thornton Brass.jpg|thumb|upright|Rubbing of the Thorntons' brass, [[Newcastle Cathedral]] ([[Newcastle upon Tyne]])]] |
[[File:Roger and Agnes Thornton Brass.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Rubbing of the Thorntons' brass, [[Newcastle Cathedral]] ([[Newcastle upon Tyne]]), believed to be the largest in the country. It is now displayed vertically opposite the east window, having been moved from the nearby [[All Saints' Church, Newcastle upon Tyne|All Saints' Church]], rebuilt since the brass's era.]] |
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'''Brass rubbing''' was originally a largely [[Great Britain|British]] enthusiasm for reproducing onto paper [[monumental brass]]es – commemorative [[brass]] plaques found in churches, usually originally on the floor, from between the |
'''Brass rubbing''' was originally a largely [[Great Britain|British]] enthusiasm for reproducing onto paper [[monumental brass]]es – commemorative [[brass]] plaques found in churches, usually originally on the floor, from between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. It was particularly popular in Britain because of the large number of medieval brasses surviving there, more than in any other country. The concept of recording textures of things is more generally called [[rubbing (art)|making a rubbing]]. What distinguishes rubbings from [[frottage (art)|frottage]] is that rubbings are meant to reproduce the form of something being transferred, whereas frottage is usually only intended to use a general texture. |
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Brass rubbings are created by laying a sheet of paper on top of a brass ( |
Brass rubbings are created by laying a sheet of paper on top of a brass (then called "[[latten]]" - a zinc-copper alloy produced via the obsolete [[calamine brass]] process) and rubbing the paper with [[graphite]], [[wax]], or [[chalk]], a process similar to rubbing a pencil over a piece of paper placed on top of a coin. In the past rubbings were most commonly made using the equivalent of what nowadays is called "[[Butcher paper|butcher's paper]]" [a {{convert|22|-|30|in|mm|adj=mid|-wide}} roll of whitish paper] laid down over the brass and rubbed with "heelball", a waxy glob of black crayon once used to shine shoes. Now most brass rubbers purchase special paper rolls of heavy duty black velvety material, and the crayons are gold, silver or bronze (other colours are available). |
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According to the Monumental Brass Society, the practice of brass rubbing does not harm a brass if competently carried out, assuming the brass is securely fixed.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Monumental Brass Society |title=Care and Conservation of Brasses and Slabs |date=n.d. |publisher=Monumental Brass Society |page=5.1 |url=https://www.mbs-brasses.co.uk/public/files/care-conservation-of-brasses-slabs-194894242.pdf}}</ref> Nonetheless, in many cases creating rubbings is banned by historical sites and churches. Brass rubbing centres with replicas of original brass plaques have become a prime source for brass rubbings in the UK.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/visit/things-to-see-and-do/|title=Things to see and do - St Martin-in-the-Fields|work=St Martin-in-the-Fields|access-date=2018-02-16|language=en-GB}}</ref> Replicas are often not the same scale as the original. |
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Often now you can no longer rub original brasses since they were being worn away by the rubbing process and the lack of care of some individuals. Brass rubbing centres had already appeared around the UK and now they became the prime source for rubbings. Replicas are often not the same scale as the original. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Bronze and brass ornamental work]] |
*[[Bronze and brass ornamental work]] |
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*{{anli|Stone rubbing}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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* ''Monumental Brasses as Art and History'' ed. Jerome Bertram, published by Alan Sutton. |
* ''Monumental Brasses as Art and History'' ed. Jerome Bertram, published by Alan Sutton. |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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* [http://www.mbs-brasses.co.uk/ Monumental Brass Society] |
* [http://www.mbs-brasses.co.uk/ Monumental Brass Society] |
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* [http://www.history.uk.com/brass_rubbing/ History.uk.com's guide to brass rubbing] |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070211115738/http://www.history.uk.com/brass_rubbing/ History.uk.com's guide to brass rubbing] |
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* [https://scrc.gmu.edu/finding_aids/beaven.html Beaven Brass Rubbings Collection] |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brass Rubbing}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brass Rubbing}} |
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[[Category:Artistic techniques]] |
[[Category:Artistic techniques]] |
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[[Category:Rubbing (art)]] |
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[[Category:British art]] |
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{{Printmaking-stub}} |
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Latest revision as of 01:44, 24 September 2024
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2010) |
Brass rubbing was originally a largely British enthusiasm for reproducing onto paper monumental brasses – commemorative brass plaques found in churches, usually originally on the floor, from between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. It was particularly popular in Britain because of the large number of medieval brasses surviving there, more than in any other country. The concept of recording textures of things is more generally called making a rubbing. What distinguishes rubbings from frottage is that rubbings are meant to reproduce the form of something being transferred, whereas frottage is usually only intended to use a general texture.
Brass rubbings are created by laying a sheet of paper on top of a brass (then called "latten" - a zinc-copper alloy produced via the obsolete calamine brass process) and rubbing the paper with graphite, wax, or chalk, a process similar to rubbing a pencil over a piece of paper placed on top of a coin. In the past rubbings were most commonly made using the equivalent of what nowadays is called "butcher's paper" [a 22–30-inch-wide (560–760 mm) roll of whitish paper] laid down over the brass and rubbed with "heelball", a waxy glob of black crayon once used to shine shoes. Now most brass rubbers purchase special paper rolls of heavy duty black velvety material, and the crayons are gold, silver or bronze (other colours are available).
According to the Monumental Brass Society, the practice of brass rubbing does not harm a brass if competently carried out, assuming the brass is securely fixed.[1] Nonetheless, in many cases creating rubbings is banned by historical sites and churches. Brass rubbing centres with replicas of original brass plaques have become a prime source for brass rubbings in the UK.[2] Replicas are often not the same scale as the original.
See also
[edit]- Bronze and brass ornamental work
- Stone rubbing – Practice of creating an image of surface features of a stone on paper
References
[edit]- ^ Monumental Brass Society (n.d.). Care and Conservation of Brasses and Slabs (PDF). Monumental Brass Society. p. 5.1.
- ^ "Things to see and do - St Martin-in-the-Fields". St Martin-in-the-Fields. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
- Monumental Brasses as Art and History ed. Jerome Bertram, published by Alan Sutton.
