The digging stick was a neat invention, and stone working skills have evolved through a long series of tool-making traditions came in handy for a few apprenticeships, workshops, and time at the anvil. million years. But metallurgy, specifically humans’ The hand forging process is much like it has been discovery of how to turn lumps of red dirt into work- for hundreds of years. A bar of metal is heated up able slabs of iron, really opened up the technological in a furnace until it reaches its red-hot working floodgates. Blacksmiths had to have skills as de- temperature, and the blacksmith then works the signer, engineer, and metalworker in order to make piece with hammers, anvil, and huge amounts of best use of this precious commodity. skill until the design emerges.
Photograph by Steve Lodefink
With the Industrial Revolution, blacksmiths became Cristalli’s architectural pieces are in high demand, nearly extinct. A few skilled artisans prospered by and her commissions include an elaborate iron adorning the mansions of the new industrial barons wishing-well cover with stylized acanthus leaves, with beautiful hand-forged ironwork. Today, Seattle an Antonio Gaudi-inspired home interior, numerous artist blacksmith Maria Cristalli wields her hammer fireplace surrounds, gates, and various home and primarily in the service of pounding out incredible garden accessories. When Cristalli gets burned out hand-forged architectural metalwork for the palaces on botanical designs and scrollwork, she turns out of today’s Silicon Revolution tycoons. clean contemporary furnishings and sculpture.
Formally educated in fine arts, Cristalli started Ironing really is women’s work. a career as a photographer, but when she took —Steve Lodefink a welding class one day, metal got under her skin and there was no looking back. Cristalli’s metal- >> Maria Cristalli’s site: mariacristalli.com
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