Doc Mark
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Well, I can check off a few more items from my bucket list. After talking to John at the FEGA convention in Vegas this year, he honored me by sending one of his hammers to engrave! It's been a dream of mine to develop enough skill to be asked ever since I saw the article about them several years ago in "The Engraver" magazine. I've always wanted to combine a cameo with metal engraving and this seemed the perfect chance to try.
Last year, my wife and I had the opportunity to travel up the Nile and see the greatest sites in Egypt. So an Egyptian theme has also been on my mind.
The cameo on the face of the hammer is, of course the Nefertiti Bust. This is probably the most familiar Egyptian work after the gold Tutankhamen mask.
Around the front ring is the Hieroglyphic text reading "JOHN ROHNER". The symbols in gold are the Ankh, often representing the "breath of life", and the Wedjat, or Eye of Horus, which is used mostly as a protective talisman.
On the upper part of the hammer are two carved elements often pictured together. The Uraeus (rearing cobra) and Neret or Nekhbet (Vulture), when carved together these usually represent the unity of the early kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt, and are commonly seen on the crowns of the Pharaohs.
At the very top is a tiny (3/8 inch) ivory Scarab (Khepri). Scarabs were equated with the god Atum, and other creation legends.
I polished the hammer quite a bit before starting because I knew that I wanted to blue it, to make the gold "pop" more.
This was a labor of love to honor John for all he has done for the engraving community. Too bad I just missed his birthday by a few days!
Last year, my wife and I had the opportunity to travel up the Nile and see the greatest sites in Egypt. So an Egyptian theme has also been on my mind.
The cameo on the face of the hammer is, of course the Nefertiti Bust. This is probably the most familiar Egyptian work after the gold Tutankhamen mask.
Around the front ring is the Hieroglyphic text reading "JOHN ROHNER". The symbols in gold are the Ankh, often representing the "breath of life", and the Wedjat, or Eye of Horus, which is used mostly as a protective talisman.
On the upper part of the hammer are two carved elements often pictured together. The Uraeus (rearing cobra) and Neret or Nekhbet (Vulture), when carved together these usually represent the unity of the early kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt, and are commonly seen on the crowns of the Pharaohs.
At the very top is a tiny (3/8 inch) ivory Scarab (Khepri). Scarabs were equated with the god Atum, and other creation legends.
I polished the hammer quite a bit before starting because I knew that I wanted to blue it, to make the gold "pop" more.
This was a labor of love to honor John for all he has done for the engraving community. Too bad I just missed his birthday by a few days!
Attachments
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Hammer--Cameo-best-shot-copy.jpg -
Hammer-Ankh-copy.jpg -
Hammer--Eye-of-Horus-copy.jpg -
Hammer=Hieroglyphics-3-copy.jpg -
Hammer=Hieroglyphics-copy.jpg -
Hammer-Cobra-copy.jpg -
Hammer-Vulture-copy.jpg -
Hammer--Cobra-side--full-length-copy.jpg -
Hammer-Vulture-side-Full-length-copy.jpg -
Hammer-scarab-copy.jpg -
Hammer--Cameo--Tilted--best-shot-copy.jpg
Last edited:
J.J.
