Metal Rosettes

The Beauty of Hand Forged Rosettes
 
Metal, particularly iron and steel, have long been used for decorative purposes. Today decorative metal can be found in a wide variety of places, from business signs to wall art, and as an architectural statement on fences, staircases, railings, and more. If you have ever seen the intricate designs of items such as hand-forged steel rosettes, you know why many people choose to use it as part of a beautiful design scheme.

The History of Metal Art

Metal has been used to sculpt pieces of art dating back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians used bronze and other metals to create ornate wall hangings, the Romans and Greeks built statues and furniture out of iron and bronze, and even used it to make basic necessities like utensils. During the Middle Ages, Europeans used metal for everything from functional (gates, screens, weapons, and hardware) to beautiful and ornate artwork (scrollwork, hinges, and decorative gates).

Metal has also long been used to create smaller more intricate pieces, such as jewelry, jewel boxes, and items to hold sacred religious relics such as a crucifix. Metalworkers would hone their artistic skills over many years to create beautiful designs that would last for ages—in fact, Spanish and Italian silversmiths are still known for their beautiful metal artwork during a renaissance period of the late 1500s and 1600s.

 

Hand-Forged Metal Art Today

Although times have changed since the Middle Ages, one thing that has not changed is the lasting beauty and durability of metal artwork, specifically intricate designs such as hand-forged steel rosettes. Although there are far fewer silversmiths or blacksmiths today, there are still a significant number of metal artists who use steel supplies from Wasatch Steel to create stunning and unique designs out of both new and recycled steel.

These designs can be used in a wide variety of ways, from more functional applications as a washer to help distribute a heavy load to purely decorative applications as an architectural design on a fence post or as wall décor on old buildings. This wall or fence décor may be simple steel rosettes or intricate designs that involve a high-grade, high-quality steel to prevent rusting, add to the strength and capabilities of the rosette, and make them corrosion resistant. They also come in a wide variety of designs to suit your specific needs and decorative desires for any project.

 

Most metalworkers today will either cut the designs using a laser, or they will use techniques such as punching, chiseling, and flame cutting. Sometimes the method used is determined by the volume of rosettes to be made, with high-volume orders usually being cut by laser to preserve time. Once cut, the metal can be formed into just about any rosette style or shape desired, including floral shapes, geometric shapes, animal or human forms, or even custom designs such as gargoyles or skulls. Forming the intricate details and shapes of flowers, humans, animals, and more requires the work of a skilled artist, who often shapes these things by hand using only some basic tools.

When you want metal that will stand out, getting hand-forged steel rosettes can be the difference between bland and fascinating pieces of art in and around your home. Explore the possibilities of rosettes and other steel supplies available today at Wasatch Steel.