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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY EVERY man has an inborn love for the beautiful. Primitive man at first fashioned his utensils for purely utilitarian purposes, but as he became accustomed to their uses he became also dissatisfied with their rude appearance, and the spirit of decoration took possession of him. This is manifested in his early pottery and weapons of warfare. Through successive ages that instinctive love for decoration has manifested itself in all mankind. Iron made the strongest gates, locks and hinges, and these were fashioned into many beautiful designs. Perhaps some of the finest examples of ornamental ironwork were made from the twelfth to the seventeenth century. Of late years iron has grown in favor and prestige, and it is now not only manufactured in artistic designs for architectural purposes, but many of our manual-training schools are producing excellent Art Craft ironwork. It has proven an acceptable departure from the ordinary ironwork heretofore taught and gives promise of ever increasing 17 |
Hand Forging by Thomas F. Googerty