The Patina

It is the heart of the workshop in Château-Renault in Touraine: the molten bronze is ladled from the crucible and poured into the mould. The casting must be carried out at a regular speed and adapted to the desired piece.

At Garnier, we don't want to leave out chasing: it's the art of breathing new life into every detail of the motif. Through a subtle interplay of light or matt chisels, the chiseller redefines contours and affirms motifs. This is what allows the light to catch and makes the motifs so fascinating.

This speciality consists of machining a workpiece using a lathe. The workpiece is fixed in the lathe chuck in order to make it rotate and then to approach a cutting tool. The combination of these two movements allows material to be removed in the form of chips. The tools are manufactured according to the desired shapes.

This technique is used to assemble different elements into an object. The bronze fitter masters the technical knowledge of metal work as well as many other skills.

Polishing is without doubt the most delicate operation in the gilding process. Indeed, care must be taken not to alter the work and the work of the chisellers. This is why there are two complementary polishing processes.

Nowadays, electrolytic gilding is mainly used. Two metal electrodes are immersed in a salt bath, forming a battery. Under the effect of an electric current, metal molecules are moved from one electrode to the other, from the anode to the cathode.

There are different methods for patinating gilt bronze and silver objects. To ensure a repeatable finish, the patinas are brought to an optimal temperature, which is constantly monitored.

Machining is an alternative to casting for shaping material for both technical and contemporary design parts.