Repoussé

Repoussé is a method of creating metal designs that comes from the French word pousser, meaning to push forward. Artists use hammers to punch from the back or inside to form relief designs on the outside. More detail and definition is done by engraving the front directly into metal or by chasing to further define details by using various tools to raise, depress or push the metal without damaging the surface. Both processes require considerable skill.