The Craftsmen – Carnyx & Co

Jean Boisserie is undoubtedly the most highly regarded dinandier (coppersmith)in France. Born and raised in the beautiful Dordogne region, he has maintained his workshop in the village of Cublac, on the outskirts of Terrasson-Lavilledieu since 1966. He is a master craftsman who works exclusively by hand-raising copper from flat sheet, laboriously hand-hammering the metal to produce objects ranging from the miniscule to industrial scale. He also works with precious metals and goldsmithing techniques.

Originally he qualified as a boiler maker and despite gaining qualifications to progress his career he fell in love with copper and now his passion is copper crafting. Over the years through public demonstrations Jean gained an amazing reputation and recognition for his work.

He also has a passion for music archaeology, and has worked extensively with museums and archaeologists to reconstruct objects from antiquity, including 6^th Century Merovingian bells and singing bowls. In 2004 he was invited to join a team of archaeologists to study six instruments which were part of a Celtic horde discovered at the Sanctuary of Tintignac, in the Correze region of France and to make a reproduction of the most complete of these.

As he worked from graphic representations the reconstructions he made of these objects were approximate and not particularly interesting. With the use of 3D data he was able to create an object much closer to the original than previously achieved. The first reconstruction was made in brass, as Jean had never worked with bronze leaf before. In 2008 he was invited to join the Music Archaeology Project. Working with the trombonist and carnyx player John Kenny, he was commissioned to make the first bronze reconstructions of the Tintignac carnyx and Etruscan Cornu. Not only has he recreated these fabulous instruments, but he has given many lectures on the reconstruction of them throughout Europe.

Currently Jean is working on the reconstruction of an extraordinary ceremonial helmet in the form of a long necked bird which was found in the Tintignac horde. His passion and enthusiasm are as strong as ever.

John Creed is a multi-award winning master silversmith and blacksmith based outside Glasgow. He lectured for many years in Leeds and then at Glasgow School of Art and has given masterclasses internationally.

With an interest in the whole spectrum of metalwork he takes an innovative approach to realising his ideas. Drawing and intuitive experimentation allied to his knowledge of materials and processes contribute to the development of his work. He often uses a combination of metals/materials and a range of techniques from traditional hot forging to laser technology. Much of his work is specially commissioned and he has exhibited widely.

His work ranges from the small and precious to large site specific architectural projects. Examples of exterior work include gates, screens, signage etc. Interior works include bannisters, lighting, stairways, railings for restaurants, institutions or domestic areas. Smaller work for the home includes coat, umbrella or music stands, lighting, vases, planters or objects for decoration or use at the meal table in precious or non-precious metals. Sculpture as public art, or in the garden, is also a particular interest where human scale and nature interact and complement.

In 1991 with support from a Glenfiddich Living Scotland Award the National Museums of Scotland commissioned him to reconstruct a 2,000 year-old Celtic war horn, a Carnyx, from bronze fragments found at Deskford on the Moray Firth. This was the start of a partnership with international trombonist John Kenny which has resulted in an on-going collaboration with the Edinburgh based charity Carnyx & Co, Irish music archaeologist Simon O’Dwyer, and joint participation in the European Music Archaeology Project. This involvement with music his exploration of the rich repertoire of sounds produced by metal, and the reconstruction of more Iron Age instruments: the Etruscan lituus and cornu, and Irish Lochnashade and Ard Brin horns.

In 2024 he was honoured with an honorary degree and lifetime achievement award by the Glasgow School of Art.