Drawing with Fire

Pyrography is one of the oldest forms of art, dating back to prehistoric times when our ancestors would use charred wood and heated stones or bone to communicate with each other and to create pictures on the terrain around them.

Pyrography then evolved to using heated metal to decorate pottery and furniture, with artefacts being found from ancient Egypt, Rome, Peru and China, some dating back to the First Century AD

During the 15th and 16th Century, artists would use ‘pokerwork’, heated rods and knives to create intricate designs on chests and musical instruments for nobility and royalty. To heat the metal, workers would carry portable stoves with holes in the lid for multiple metal rods to rest in. This way, there was always a heated rod ready to use when the one they had was too cool.

During the 1900s, the first mechanical tool was invented, making Pyrography more efficient and easier to undertake in a home environment.

These machines were widely available as well as temperature controlled and are the basis of the Pyrography machines available today.