Metalwork: The Hammered Surface

A set of hand-forged metal objects. A shallow copper dish, its surface covered with dense hammer marks—each strike leaving a slightly concave facet, creating countless tiny highlights and shadows under light; a pewter water bottle, its surface a soft matte gray, with visible solder seams; a set of brass candlesticks, their bases showing turned lathe marks; an iron candle snuffer, with a black-dyed finish and hammer marks. None of these metals are polished to a mirror finish; instead, they retain traces of their making and oxidize with use. They are placed on a dark wooden shelf against a plain wall. Avoid: using mass-produced metals polished to a mirror finish, eliminating hammer and solder marks, using gilded and chrome-plated surfaces, making the treatment of all objects identical.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一組手工鍛打的金屬器物。一個銅製的淺盤,表面佈滿密集的鎚打痕跡——每一下都留下一個略微凹陷的小面,在光下形成無數細碎的高光與陰影;一只錫製的水瓶,表面是柔和的霧灰,可以看見接合的焊縫;一組黃銅的燭台,底座有車製的旋紋;一把鐵製的燭剪,表面有黑染的處理與鎚痕。這些金屬都沒有拋光成鏡面,而是保留製作的痕跡並隨使用氧化。它們放在深色的木層板上,背景是素色的牆。避免:使用拋光成鏡面的量產金屬、消除鎚打與焊接的痕跡、使用鍍金與鍍鉻的表面、讓所有器物的處理相同。