Koftgari, How is it done?

[Pukka Bundook]

Jeff,
Here is a close up of the little crosses, and one at a more moderate distance.
It sure looks rough from close up!

Jens,
Thank you for the over-view of different techniques.
I can see how possibly thin wire could be hammered onto the roughened base-metal, laying strands both ways to produce crosses.
I think if it were me though, I'd go insane before the first project was finished!

Now inlay, That I can understand!
It's no use, I'll have to have a bash as time allows...

[Jens Nordlunde]

I think the crosses are made in koftgari and the scratching, with the time, covered by rust and dust.
There is one more decoration which belongs in this category, and that is the dotted decoration. Dots are made close to each other in the pattern wished, and gold wire is hammered into the dots. The picture is not very good, but I think you can get the idea.

[Jeff Pringle]

Looks koftgari to me, too - and perhaps some black paint / pitch / enamel to help rust and dust fill in between the Xs?
Usually there is more than one direction of scratches, which is obscure on this, a couple hints but less obvious than usual. I'm having trouble deciding if the silver was applied in wire or foil form, right now it looks like small snips of wire due to the uniform line thickness and sharp inside corners on the Xs, but I might come up with a good theory for foil later on...

[Jens Nordlunde]

Jeff,

I think it is wire. Had it been foil, there would not have been so much left in the middle of the crosses, as the foil will be equally thick all over, but the wire would be thicker in the middle. If you look at the edges and see what has gone, and at the same time remember how very thin the foil, which they used was, then I think even less of the silver had been left had they used foil. Besides, I don’t think they used so small pieces of foil as they would have to take it with a pincer and hold it in place while they hammered at it, and I can’t see how they could do that with objects this small.

Jens

[Pukka Bundook]

Jeff, Jens,
I think maybe I should have taken a close-up of the handle part.
There, the silver has nearly all gone, but the hilt appears to be covered in an undulating pattern, the high parts where the silver was, and furrows between.
This May be accounted for by rust at some time, eating down the surface not protected by the silver, Or an intentional acid bath?
All I know is, the hilt feels and looks very textured.

I think, wether wire or foil was used, doing such repetative work,
I'd go daft after a very short time!
Thank you for your input!

Richard.

[Jeff Pringle]

Had it been foil, there would not have been so much left in the middle of the crosses, as the foil will be equally thick all over, but the wire would be thicker in the middle.

Good point, I agree.
I was trying to imagine the whole surface covered in larger pieces of foil, with the design scraped through, but everything seems to point more toward wire, which is the common way of building up designs on these swords anyway.

There, the silver has nearly all gone, but the hilt appears to be covered in an undulating pattern, the high parts where the silver was, and furrows between.

Usually, there is some attempt to erase the crosshatching where it is not holding silver on the surface, more or less effective depending on the craftsmanship. That, plus some rust are more likely than an acid treatment.
Jeff