Puncheoner

Puncheoner is a specialist who creates metal stamps (punches) used for artistic chasing of silver and other metals. The work of a puncheoner requires exceptional precision: the mirrored design on the punch turns into a fine relief image on the silver item. The history of the profession goes back to the 17th–19th centuries, when the skill of puncheoners was valued as much as that of engravers, especially in France and Russia, where luxurious massive dishes and jugs were adorned with intricate scenes.

Each stamp is like a secret signature of the master and a guarantee of the workshop's individual style. This is why two seemingly identical silver trays can differ in the character of lines or minute details. Sometimes the experiments of inept craftsmen ended in oddities: famous collections feature "erroneous chasings" – for example, mirror-inverted initials of the customer or amusing distortions in the ornament.