Plácido Maria Martin Zuloaga y Zuloaga was a Spanish sculptor and metalworker. He is known for refining damascening, a technique that involves inlaying gold, silver, and other metals into an iron surface, creating an intricate decorative effect. Zuloaga came from a family of Basque metalworkers. He was the son of damascening pioneer Eusebio Zuloaga, the half-brother of the artist Daniel Zuloaga, and the father of the painter Ignacio Zuloaga. Taking over his father's armaments factory, he adapted it to make art pieces which he exhibited at international fairs, winning multiple awards.
Plácido painted by his son, Ignacio Zuloaga
The Fonthill Casket: forged iron cassone, 1871
Pair of iron urns, before 1878
Iron shrine with virgin and child, 1880
Damascening is the art of inlaying different metals into one another—typically, gold or silver into a darkly oxidized steel background—to produce intricate patterns similar to niello. The English term comes from a perceived resemblance to the rich tapestry patterns of damask silk. The term is also used to describe the use of inlaid copper interconnects in integrated circuits. As its name suggests, damascene gets its name from Damascus, Syria and the ancient artisans that created and exported this craft.
Some examples of damascened work
Iron cassone by Plácido Zuloaga, 1871
Detail of damascening, in this case gold inlaid into oxidized steel, in a hairclasp from Toledo, Spain.
Ding bronze vessel with gold and silver inlay (Damascening) from the Warring States period (403-221 BC) of ancient China. (c. 300 BC)