Design elements and craft techniques of Repousee and Filigree ornamental metal

works

Figure 1: Repousee

Figure 2

Repousee is a metalworking technique in which a malleable (supple/soft) metal is

ornamented or shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in
low relief. In repouss decoration the design stands out from the surface in relief.
For example, traditional Malay belt buckles of ogival form, like the fine silver
example (Figure 1), are known as pendings. They were widely worn as fashion
statements across the gamut of traditional Malay society and varied greatly according

to their materials, scale and ornament. For example, a few royal pendings were of gemstudded gold and uncomfortably large, while people of lower rank wore finely patterned
silver-gilt or silver pendings.

Filigree is a delicate kind of jewelry metalwork, usually of gold and silver, made
with tiny beads or twisted threads, or both in combination. Soldered together or to
the surface of an object of the same metal and arranged in artistic motifs. For
example, the small, elegant brooch (Figure 2) is of gilded (gold plated) metal
(probably silver) and is set with a central green stone and many clear diamond
stones amid scrolling applied filigree motifs. It is typically Malay in form and motif.
The gilding appears to have been done with gold and suasa (gold-copper alloy) to
provide a pleasing contrast.