metalsmith

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Ancient Greek μέτᾰλλον (métăllon)der. Latin metallum Old French metalbor. Middle English metal English metal Proto-Germanic *smiþaz Proto-West Germanic *smiþ Old English smiþ Middle English smyth English smith English metalsmith From metal + smith.

1. A craftsman fashioning objects such as tools or works of art out of various metals; one who engages in metalsmithing.

   “THE THREE DOMINANT FORMS IN METALSMITHING […] At present, there are but three basic volumetric forms dominating the work of metalsmiths, the spherical (usually in its most practical form, the domical), the cylindrical, and the cubical. […] The possibilities for further variations on them are all but exhausted, there being little chance to express new and unusual ideas within the framework of such limited choices. As a result, much of twentieth-century metalsmithing has relied on surface enrichment rather than formal development for its originality.”

   “Between 1865 and 1880, the supply of German silver increased greatly, leading to an abundance of items manufactured from it and a decline in its value as a rare commodity. Southern Plains metalsmiths produced horse gear, pectorals and crosses, earrings, finger rings, other jewelry, and decorative objects with German silver.”