ABOUT DAMASCENE
Damascene "Damasquinado de Oro or "Damasquino"
is the art of decorating
non-precious metals with gold. It has roots in the Middle Ages and
originates from the oriental-style artisan work done in Damascus,
Syria. The craft, perfected by the Arabs and brought with them to
Spain, has remained virtually unchanged over the centuries.
 Damascene
items generally reflect two
distinct traditional types of patterns; the Arabesque or geometric
designs, and the Renaissance motifs, displaying variations of birds
and flowers. These patterns are obtained by engraving deep, patterned
cuts into steel and then placing a gold foil into the lines of the
design. This foil is hammered until the gold (18/greenish and
24/yellow carat) penetrates into the cuts, forming the design. Each
piece is treated with a bluing solution to obtain oxidation and a
black background is created. The back of all Damascene pieces are
finished with gold metal.
Toledo is the world's largest
center of production of Damascene.
The city of Toledo is one of the
richest historically and culturally endowed cities in all of
Spain.
Lands Far Away
is pleased to offer a large assortment of
Damascene pieces.
Click here for our
on-line catalogue of
Damascene
products.
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