Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Beaven brass rubbings collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Beaven brass rubbings collection, C0284, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Vida Beaven in 2015.

Processing Information

Unprocessed.

Historical Note

Brass rubbing is a technique to reproduce exactly the engraving on a monumental brass. Rubbings are made by carefully pressing paper onto a carved or incised surface so that the paper conforms to features to be copied. The paper is then blacked and the projecting areas of the surface become dark, while indented areas remain white. In Europe the technique of rubbing is almost exclusively applied to monumental brasses. Monumental brasses are usually figures, inscriptions, shields or other devices, engraved in plate brass and laid as memorials. Brasses originated in Europe where they first appeared in the thirteenth century. Brasses in churches are an important source of heraldic information. It was formerly a custom to put a brass over the grave slab, and on this would be shown a figure of the deceased with his armorial bearings.

Scope and Content

Eight brass rubbings made in England. Dates refer to the subject of the rubbing, not when the rubbing was created. 1. Hildersham: Robert de Paris and wife Alien, 1379 2. Side piece of Hildersham Church rubbing 3. Balsham Church, Blodwell Brass 1463 4. Other half of Balsham Church, Blodwell Brass 5. Balsham Church, Sleaford Brass, 1401 6. Other half of Sleaford Brass 7. John Sleaford, Balsham, 1401, partial rubbing of figure only 8. Not identified: single figure

Arrangement

Organized by subject.

Related Material

Special Collections Research Center also holds the Bernard Brenner brass rubbings collection.

Index Terms

Subjects:

• Brass rubbing--England.