What remarkable achievements did metal technology make during the Renaissance?

Although metal technology did not occupy an important position in the Renaissance as it did in the Middle Ages, precious metals in particular lacked a market among the emerging citizens. However, metal technology has made remarkable achievements in this period. During the Renaissance, many outstanding artists set foot in metalworking.

In Italy, with the affluence of the life of the civil class, metal crafts developed considerably in the late15th century and16th century. According to records, in 1474, there were 44 gold and silver craftsmen's workshops in Florence alone. The most famous metalworking at that time was Benvenuto Cellini (1500 ~1571). He was born in Florence and loved Michelangelo's art very much. His autobiography and technique theory are important documents for studying metal technology in the Renaissance. His outstanding masterpiece is the "Royal Salt Tank Made of Gold" made for Francois I, and the cylinder body is all made of gold. On the oval pedestal, there are two statues (God of the earth and God of the sea) sitting opposite each other, surrounded by relief elephants symbolizing the four seasons. The works are luxurious and exquisite, forming a decorative feature different from the medieval precious metal craft style.

In other European countries, the development of metal technology during the Renaissance was uneven. In some areas, constant wars hindered the development of metal technology, and France and Germany were more prosperous at that time. It seems that the metalworking skills of these two countries are not as influenced by Italy as pottery or glassware, but as far as they are concerned, this influence is still obvious. For example, cellini stayed in France for four or five years at the invitation of Francois I, and his disciples were more than 30 people, most of whom were foreigners, so that he was considered as a metalworker representing the highest level of metal technology in Europe at that time.

Among the European countries north of the Alps, France is the center of precious metal technology, which is inseparable from the powerful influence and abundant capital of the French royal family. What is different from the precious metal craft in the Middle Ages here is the kind of utensils and the content of decoration. Most of the gold and silver products in the French Renaissance were tableware, candlesticks, swing parts, swords and armor, and decorations for fireplaces. Although the local imitation Gothic architecture is also very common in decoration content, it is mostly decorated with figures or animal and plant images, with historical stories and myths and legends.

Nuremberg is the largest silverware production center in Germany, and Diu Lei stepped into the art hall as a silverware craftsman. At that time, Nuremberg had a large number of skilled metal workers. Among them, Wenzeljamnitzer (1508 ~1585) was very popular with the court nobles, and most of his works were hidden by the court. It is said that he invented a kind of rotary seal to make line feet and repeated side ornaments, which enriched the decorative techniques of metal crafts. This kind of edge decoration with seal appears not only in the products of his own workshop, but also in the works influenced by him. Two representative works, the silver table ornaments of Amsterdam National Museum and the spiral kettle of Lechiti Treasures Museum in Munich, show that Zhan Mu Nittzell not only has perfect metalworking skills, but also absorbs some characteristics of "rural pottery" in decoration techniques-vividly and meticulously representing insects or other reptiles, thus forming an interesting and unique decoration effect.

John turner was also a famous metal worker in Nuremberg during the Renaissance. He wrote the luxurious silver cup. The modeling of the works is full of variety, momentum and luxurious and elegant palace atmosphere. The decoration is dominated by complex and changeable plant patterns, which are distributed in every part of the vessel, adding a sense of elegance and luxury. Obviously, this is a rich texture effect that craftsmen pursue in order not to feel boring under the simple material condition of silverware.

Huang Jin Huang Jia Yan Guan

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