Chasing

Chasing is a technique used to work metal into a raised design or pattern. Chasing is the opposite of Repoussé. Where Repoussé is used to work on the reverse of the metal to create a raised design on the front, Chasing is used to refine the design on the front of the work by sinking the metal on the front.

One method of Chasing and Repoussé is to place a thin sheet of metal on a bowl of heated pitch. The pitch is slightly soft, and hardens when cooled, or becomes liquified when heated. The purpose of using pitch is to provide both a solid base to work on, whilest allowing the metal to be pushed out and shaped without obstruction.

Steel tools are used to work the metal. A Liner is a steel rod with a very thin, slightly rounded end, that is used to create the initial lines on the metal. The Liner is hit on the end with a Chasing Hammer, pushing a thin line of metal into the pitch. The side facing up will consequently be the front of the piece. Once all the lines have been chased, the metal is then turned over on the pitch, and repoussé is then used to push the metal so that it extrudes on the front of the finished piece. There are hundreds of different sized and shaped tools which are used to punch the metal. The piece of metal is turned and worked many times before the final design is achieved.

Chasing and Repoussé are commonly used in India to create objects such as water vessels. These vessles are generally made using sheets of copper or silver.