Residing in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago is an astoundingly intricate lock depicting the Grimm Fairytale, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”. With its Medieval Looks and its Renaissance almost Mannerist details, its use of iron with inlays of gold, silver, bronze, and copper on a wood base, this extremely intricate lock, which took seven years to complete, is however a product of the 20th century, signed “Fkoralewsky” on its iron surface; “FK” inlaid in copper.
Frank L. Koralewsky (1872-1941), served as a traditional ironworker’s apprentice in his native north-German town of Stralsund. After obtaining his journeyman status, he worked in various German shops before immigrating to Boston in the mid- 1890s. By 1906 he was a member of the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts, specializing in ‘locksmithing’ and hardware.
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I hope the readers of this post will zoom in on it's details.
The piece captures the essence of the dwarfs, and sleeping Beauty's, daily life.
I think that many viewers may not have cast metal before, or understand it's process. Each change in metal requires a wood mold to be hand carved. Then the wood mold is used to make a dye, usually of clay. Then the mold is poured full of molten metal. Then each metal piece had to be sanded smooth with intricate metal working tools. This to remove the excess metal which caked on during the casting process.
The clusters of metal colors are made by mixing of metals at low tempatures. They may look just like clusters of color, but it takes a highly skilled metallurgist to make them.
I find the detail and thought of this piece to be exquisite.
Thank you for sharing.
Heathenman
Level 7
Aug 2, 2019
2
The circles with what looks like pictures are metal too?
Yes, but I am not sure how he did them. I suspect he used a mineral powder casting technique, or he could have used targeted electrolysis.
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