This immersive training, held in the metal workshops of Campus MaNa, offers participants the opportunity to discover traditional coppersmithing techniques, supervised by master coppersmith Nathanaël Le Berre. They will be introduced to the art of transforming sheets of metal, such as copper or brass, into sculpted objects with shapes that are both aesthetic and functional.
Under the guidance of Nathanaël Le Berre, trainees will explore the skills associated with this artistic craft: volume metalworking, shaping, texture research, and finishing with patinas. Each step of the process will be approached in a hands-on manner, combining technical skill and artistic expression.
At the end of the training, participants will be able to
Copperware traditionally refers to the decorative work of copper and its alloys (copper, brass, bronze) by hammering, repoussé, and chasing. While it is strongly associated with the city of Dinant (Belgium), which was a major center of the craft from the 12th century onward, its roots actually date back to Antiquity, where hammered and hot-worked copperwork was already practiced.
The use of cast metal in copperware came later, beginning with the Renaissance and especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, when casting techniques were refined. Casting allowed for the creation of more complex and voluminous shapes, which were then assembled and finely decorated by hand, thus combining artisanal tradition and technical advances. This integration enriched the creativity and technical sophistication of copperware objects, extending its influence into the industrial era.
This training course offers a hands-on immersion in the world of coppersmithing. Under the guidance of a master craftsman, participants will discover the complete creative process: from the selection of metals to the creation of volume, including finishing touches such as the application of patinas. They will learn how an idea becomes a metalwork, nurtured by the sensitivity and technique of the coppersmith.
Designed for auctioneers, this training provides valuable insight into a little-known but essential craft. It will allow them to refine their perspective, better identify the characteristics of hammered metal pieces, and fully appreciate their historical, technical, and artistic value in a contemporary context.
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Nathanaël Le Berre began his artistic career in 1995 at the Olivier de Serres School (ENSAAMA) in Paris, where he explored applied arts. He developed a passion for materials and technical techniques early on. In 1997, he chose to specialize in metal sculpture and discovered coppersmithing, an ancestral skill that he adopted as a means of artistic expression. There, he developed a personal language combining rigorous gestures, mastery of materials, and the pursuit of refined sculptural forms.
His technical excellence and creativity were recognized in 2014 when he received the prestigious Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Intelligence of the Hand, in the "Exceptional Talent" category. This distinction recognizes his commitment to fine crafts and his resolutely contemporary approach to a traditional practice.
As a craftsman and artist, Nathanaël Le Berre exhibits his work internationally. He was notably invited to participate in the Wonder Lab exhibition in 2017 at the Tokyo National Museum, which celebrated 15 French master artists, and the following year at the National Museum of China in Beijing. These events confirmed his international reputation as a representative of French artisanal excellence.
Recently, he applied his expertise to design by collaborating with GGSV studio to create the lighting fixtures for the 19M restaurant, an iconic venue dedicated to creation and fine crafts, located in Aubervilliers. Through each project, Nathanaël Le Berre continues to push the boundaries of materials, creating a dialogue between tradition and modernity with finesse and rigor.
Archaeologist – Engineer at INRAP, lecturer, specialist in copperware and ancient metallurgy
Nicolas Thomas is an archaeologist and engineer at INRAP (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research), a recognized specialist in ancient metallurgy and copperware, a complex craft that he explores through a dual scientific and experimental approach.
For over twenty years, he has conducted in-depth research on the manufacturing techniques, techniques, materials, and production circuits associated with medieval and modern copperware. He has led or co-organized numerous public and scientific experiments, reconstructing bronze workshops, melting furnaces, and brass production processes using cementation. His work is now a benchmark in the field. Holding around thirty excavation permits, he has participated in over 80 archaeological operations and written around fifty reports. He also leads international missions (Spain, Cambodia, Algeria, Lebanon) and regularly collaborates with archaeometry laboratories for detailed material analysis (metallography, SEM-EDS, PIXE, DRX).
Trained in the history and archaeology of technology, he combines the perspectives of materials chemistry, production economics, and object anthropology. His expertise covers medieval and urban archaeology, stakeholder networks, and material production logics. He also uses statistical tools (multivariate analyses) to model technical practices based on material remains.
Committed to the dissemination of knowledge, he has organized numerous experimental archaeology workshops, participated in documentaries (radio and television), and given around twenty public lectures internationally. He has also been an exhibition curator.
A lecturer for over fifteen years, he has trained numerous students and young researchers in ancient techniques, materials analysis, and experimental approaches. He is the author of around one hundred publications, including three books, and regularly speaks at scientific conferences in France and abroad.
Recipient of a Wallonia-Brussels International Excellence Scholarship in 2021, he was a visiting researcher for a year at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), at the National Archaeology Research Center.
At the intersection of scientific research, experimentation, and transmission, Nicolas Thomas embodies a vibrant and rigorous archaeology, committed to the techniques, materials, and intelligence of ancient know-how.
Price(s) including the cost of training, accommodation and full board, materials and personal protective equipment.
