The Metals

At an archeological site known as the Shanidar cave located in Iraqi Kurdistan, paleontologist Ralph Solecki in 1960 unearthed a slim, inch long, almond-shaped piece of copper. This object had two equally spaced perforations at its end so that it could be worn as a pendant. The context in which it was found indicates its age well over 10,000 years, making it the oldest copper artifact yet found.

The Romans knew copper as cyprum from the island of Cyprus where it was mined and worked. The alchemists recognized the name of Venus in association with the metal since she was the goddess to whom Cyprus was sacred and used the astronomical symbol for that planet.

The symbol for mercury, or quicksilver, sometimes represented "the metals" in general as well as the liquid metal or the planet.

Copper is a very stable element which can be found in the earth in its metallic form as "native copper". It has several physical properties that make it an ideal medium for art and craft work. It is easy to shear, drill and file. It can be repeatedly annealed by heating to a red heat then cooled to a very soft and workable metal. When hammered or worked, it hardens even so as to make knife blades in ancient times. It will take on a wide variety of patinas and surface treatments that can be artistically interesting. The surface naturally oxidizes forming a thin brown layer that protects itself from further corrosion. Depending upon the atmosphere, copper will eventually turn green or blue. In a little over a century that the Statue of Liberty has stood in the salt air of New York harbor, most its surface has corroded only .005", not much thicker than a hair.

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It is harder and stronger than copper but machines easily. Its surface can be polished to a bright yellow and was once even used for mirrors. Bronze is another alloy of copper that contains tin. It is often cast and has a reddish yellow color when polished and oxidizes to a dark brown or black.

Artwork In Metal

The Metals