Megan Haskin Art 1040 Jewelry and Creation Written Report On The Jewelry technique of Mokume Gane

Mokume Gane is a really intricate and interesting technique in jewelry making. Its a form of mixed metal laminate with very distinctive and specific patterns. The word Mokume translates quite closely to wood grain metal or wood eye metal. There is a lot of history, different forms of techniques including a coloring technique that incorporates into it and some symbolism that follows along with it as well. The basis of this comes from welding thin sheets of different and colored metals and their compositions of contrasting colors without using welding or flux. The laminated crude steel was first found in China in the 1st century b.c. The Japanese later used it to make swords, well the fitting of swords. The inventor, Denbei Shoami (1651-1728), originally called his product guri bori for its simplest forms to resemble guri, a type of carved lacquerwork with altering layers of red and black. The original components were fairly soft metallic elements and alloys such as gold, copper, silver, shakudo, shibuichi, and kuromido. These elements would form a liquid phase and dispersal bonds with one another with out completely melting. This was one of the unique techniques that were used to make this of fusing and soldering the layers together. Modern processes are highly controlled and need a compressive force on the billet. Typical patterns are positioned by various methods; someone can use cutters, gravers, drills, punchers, chisels as well as engraving techniques, etching, press cut and chasings. A billet normally has 15 layers and a thickness of 4mm that is being engraved. The cut needs to break through several layers and enabling a multi-lined pattern. After the billet is forged and rolled. The thickness of the metal decreases, and the cut that was in the beginning will get filled with the metal from below. By re-forging the billet is now getting thinner and thinner and the cut is filling up more and the patter is becoming more visible to see. After now the cut is filled up. Which the layers are more visible in the slot and have moved to the surface and are showing up more as a pattern. Now the surface of the finished piece must be forged

extremely smooth so it doesnt leave any hammer marks. There are three other techniques like fusing, soldering and solid-state bonding. Fusing (Traditional) is where metal sheets are stacked carefully then heated, and then the solid billet of stripes could be forged and carved to increase the patterns complexity. If you are successful in this technique the traditional process requires a skilled smith with a lot of knowledge of bonding experience. The alloys are heated to a point of becoming partially molten and liquid alloy and it will fuse the layers together. Carful heat control and forging are required for this process. Soldering (Brazing) is where you solder using silver solder or another brazing alloy. You join the metals in larger sheets and are difficult to perfect. But, you flux the inclusions that could be trapped or bubbles could form. Common imperfections will need to be cut out and the metal re-soldered. Last but not least Solid-state bonding (more modern technique) this process is typically used in a temperature-controlled furnace. Mechanical aids like a hydraulic press or torque plates (bolted clamps) that are also used to apply compressive force on the billet during lamination. This provides for the operation of lower temperature solid-state diffusion between interleaved layers which is allowing the inclusion of non-traditional materials. After diffusion of the layers the billet is cut with a chisel to expose the lower layers and then flattened. This process will be repeated to develop a pattern. As for coloring to increase the contrast of the design the designs are with an application of patina (a controlled corrosion layer) to bring out or totally change the colors of the metals surface. There are many symbolic forms that Mokume Gane can portray onto society there are a few unique ones that I found quite intriguing. First was the partnership in rings: for individuality and solidary. Where two (or more) metals are integrated as a whole. Each metal keeps its sovereignty but they are both inseparably joint. The rings are forged from one single billet. But each ring acquires its individuality through slightly different patterns. Each metal adheres its own

symbolism. For example silver is the moon metal and gold is the sun metal. The polarity is exciting when the two are forged together and the conflict between the two is kind of romantic. This leads to my next form of symbolism which is my favorite it can be a form of a source of energy. Comes from the two pieces of different metal conforming of two polar opposite and the energy the two different or more make when combined together is just amazing to think about and just makes the jewelry beautiful. The flow of the different and various patterns seems like the piece is just one big movement and the practice of the art and everything about it is a good technique and trait to acquire and would be something I myself would love to try out and see if its possible or even watch someone make a piece of art like this and all the processes and time that is needed to put into a piece like this. Just so fascinating and for how long the technique has been around and what its used for now and what artists/creators make out of this is amazing. All the pockets knifes, swords, pendants, bracelets, earing and rings and so on and with the right gem stones added to it make the colors of the forged metals more beautiful to look at, with all the different techniques and ways to make it look the way it does its just too intriguing to pass up. Also love that it comes from an everything is simple technique from all the marks and designs are just derived from simple marks and intensive patterned surfaces. Its all up to the artist/creator to choose the desired colored combination and line structure to put into the metal with even selective patterns, and to produce the jewelry of the objects from the pattern metal of their choosing. This will conclude my research paper on a jewelry technique would really love to learn how to do this technique and it has intrigued me to want to learn more about it actually and want to try and find some pieces of this art for my own collection of have of my own. Just look into the history more and learn more about the spiritual side of it all had made me want a piece of this jewelry as well a really interesting technique to say the less.

Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokume-gane

1. Jump up ^ Midgett, Steve (2000). Mokume Gane A comprehensive study. earthshine press. ISBN 0-9651650-7-8. 2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Pijanowski, H.S. and Pijanowski, G.M. (2001). Wood Grained Metal: MokumeGane. Retrieved 2007-01-26. 3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Binnion, J. E. and Chaix, B. (2002). Old Process, New Technology: Modern Mokume Gane (PDF). Retrieved 2007-01-26.

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