Iron is the working material of the blacksmith, the man or woman who stands under the spreading chestnut tree and turns it into Hell with a fire and red-hot coals. The art of the smith is that of pounding beauty from raw iron, knowing just where to hit (and how to support the work), just how much to heat it, and exactly how and when to cool or quench it. The result is a range of useful and beautiful pieces from door hardware to garden hooks (and the occasional horseshoe). The black finish on real ironwork is not paint but a more durable oxide finish that chemically attaches itself under the guidance of the smith.
