As we go along our daily routine, do we ever stop and notice the art of engraving? From the hand-made jewelry box on the dresser, to the metal latticework carved on the front door or the floral design daintily displayed on wedding silver. These are all household items that we may take for granted that actually have an artistic purpose too. To engrave is to cut or incise a fine line with a cutting tool also known as a burin or graver, to create detail with pressure from the hand on various metals.

Gazing back in time, you can see the importance of such a classic art. Before man learned to extract metals from the earth, the earliest engraved objects were made of stone, wood, bone or hardened earth. So true to our nature, engraving displays another aspect of our human need for expressional outlet, a way of depicting our daily life, adding the beauty to our belongings that we see or feel around us. In 5th Century BC, gold helmets were adorned with carvings of feathers. The back of hand mirrors were engraved with portrayals of mythology in 3rd and 4th Century BC Greece.

In Persia, some household objects were shaped as animals such as a vase in the form of a fish incised with intricate scale detail.  With the onset of an alphabetical system, philosophical adages and memorial events were also immortalized on metal. Engraving played a important part in religious practices, 12th Century Romanesque portable altars gave symbolism to their beliefs. Also in Biblical times, it is stated that a seal was engraved on a sacred medallion which read “Holy to the Lord”, Exodus 39:30. Engraving reached its peak in the 15th Century, when it was crucial to soldiers in battle, being covered head to toe with metal armor, to identify themselves with which alliance they stood for. A family crest or Heraldic emblem was also of high importance, showing status in a society to announce what possessions one owned and different designs symbolizing the joining of families through marriage. In the 1800’s, engraving was used to make print copies of painting masterworks to sell and distribute commercially. The process of engraving now, essentially uses the same technical processes of ancient times, but survives largely in a few specialized fields, such as weaponry, jewelry, and musical instruments. For industrial uses and large scale engraving, like on Intaglio plates, hand engraving was replaced with milling machines that can be controlled by hand or computer.

Recently there has been a revival of sorts, this hidden art has caught the attention of the motorcycle world and found a new place to call home. The timeless old school charm and personalizing characteristic makes perfect sense. For many motorcyclist, engraving has become their favorite pastime.

Engraver, Tira Mitchell, can truly attest to this. Encompassed in the arts all her life - studying classical music at the Boston University School of Fine Arts, then changing careers from computer programmer to mother - Tira found a career suited to her passion for the arts and her family: engraving. Beginning with filigree patterns on eggshells and then eventually progressing to motorcycles. Tira’s teacher couldn’t figure out why on earth she would want to engrave motorcycles. But we know why… motorcycles are the new medium for artistic expression. Due to her perseverance in her desire to work with the iron horse, she approached the "man in charge" at Fairfield Cycle Center, Mike Huffman, and with a smile was soon put to work. The first bike she branded was the Avalon, a soft tail Harley art- deco diamond design. The clean lines and consistent detail incised provided that complete touch. The next Harley motorcycle on her list was a theme bike dedicated to the one and only Marilyn Monroe dubbed “Norma Jean,” of course! This curvy red and white beauty showcased a special little feature, Tira engraved Norma Jean’s actual signature right on the tank dashboard. It’s hard to keep this special kind of talent under wraps, soon she was engraving for others, even a few celebrities such as a derby cover award for  Jay Leno, a handlebar clamp cover for talk show host Ken Hamblin. Another high visibility project was the derby cover for the Gibson Guitar Bike designed by Donnie Smith on display at Daytona 2004. It doesn’t surprise us that rocker James Hetfield of Metallica, would want his Harley engraved with the stoic iron crosses and personalized belt guard with his custom Harley’s name “Saga” on it, which has been cruising the pages of EasyRider and V-Twin magazines, in all its iron glory.
 

Tira Mitchell’s engraving isn’t strictly for motorcycles. Her talents range from corvette spinners, pipe wrenches, firearms and 40lb firehouse brass bells. She has also expanded her ability and soon will begin bulino engraving, which is a dot technique used to reproduce wildlife and landscape scenes on metal. For more information about Tira, go to: www.engraver.com