Chasing

The process of finishing or refining a malleable metal surface by hammering from the reverse side, also called embossing. Chasing is used to refine the design on the front of an object by sinking the metal. A relatively slow process, no metal is lost and the tool marks are still apparent in the finished process. The technique is also used to remove imperfections or rough spots on a bronze cast. The resulting piece is said to have “chased work.”