SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Brass Rubbing to Be Taught at Mission

Brass rubbing, an art form from the Renaissance period, will be practiced at Mission San Juan Capistrano for the next two months.

Starting Monday, the London Brass Rubbing Centre will teach groups and individuals how to create brass rubbings, an art form that was popular in Europe during the 14th and 15 centuries.

“It’s an art form that seems to appeal to all ages,” said Richard Etches, the English director of the London Brass Rubbing Centre. “You don’t have to be particularly artistic. It’s simple and quick to produce a really lovely piece of artwork.”

In Renaissance Europe, it was common for the gentry to commission an image of family members or scenes taken from brass plaques. Brass rubbing is the practice of rubbing special wax over paper, which is laid over casts of the plaques. The image on the plaque is re-created on paper.

“The rubbings are an accurate picture of the past,” Etches said, “telling us about social customs, armor, trades, professions and family stories. They depict a 350-year period of England’s history.”

The exhibit and art demonstration will continue at Mission San Juan through June 10.

Admission to the mission, instruction and materials for a small etching costs $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for senior citizens over 55 years old and $5.50 for children under 14.

The brass rubbing takes about 45 minutes. Larger etchings are available for a higher price that can take up to eight hours to complete, said mission officials.

For information about brass-rubbing classes, call (714) 248-2028.