Mixed metals describes decorative metalwork in which two or more contrasting metals and alloys are combined in a single object to create colourful, painterly effects. Silver, copper, brass, gold and specialist alloys are inlaid, overlaid or applied to one another so that their different tones form a design.
The technique is most closely associated with Japanese metalworkers, who for centuries decorated sword fittings using alloys such as shakudo, a copper and gold alloy patinated to a deep blue-black, and shibuichi, a copper and silver alloy with a soft grey tone. After the reforms of the Meiji period restricted the wearing of swords, many of these craftsmen turned to vases, boxes and ornaments for export, and their work caused a sensation in the West. American and European silversmiths, notably Tiffany & Co. and several English makers working in the Aesthetic taste, responded in the late nineteenth century with mixed-metal wares featuring applied copper and gold insects, fish and foliage on hammered silver grounds. Collectors look for fine detailing, careful joins and original patination, which should never be polished away. Mixed-metal pieces sit well in eclectic interiors, alongside Japanese ceramics, lacquer and Aesthetic Movement furniture.
