The hand-engraving area

The hand-engraving area

The place is flooded with daylight. The double workbench sits right in front of the bay window, to get as much light as possible. On this workbench, the tools of the hand-engraver: engraver and chiseller hammers, gravers (flat, « méplat », round), onglettes, ciselets, mats, brillants, traçoirs, perloirs, bouterolles, rifloirs, chisels… This tools are rare, for they are mostly handmade out of a steel bar.
Some of Nicolas Salagnac’s tools have belonged to three generations of engravers.
In 2004, Mr Claude Chaban, retired die engraver for cutlery, handed his tools to Nicolas Salagnac (« for them to live again through your hands »). Mr Chaban received these tools in the 1920s from another engraver, Mr Guttin.

The Abduction of Proserpine

See below a film about the creation of a medal born out of a sculpture of Le Bernin, The Abduction of Proserpine by Pluto.