Term for the Day: Repoussé

In metalworking, repoussé (or chasing), refers to a design created in bas relief on a metal surface by manipulating the metal from the reverse side. The result is a pattern or a figure that is visible from the object’s outside surface. This technique can also be referred to as “embossing.” Repoussé was (and is) a popular technique of French and English silversmiths. This process is also employed in jewelry-making as well as sculpture. The most famous repoussé sculpture is most likely the Statue of Liberty—a work of copper repoussé attached to a wooden and metal framework.