Inscriptions The Hammer-headed chisels are used with the
in Stone hammer for ordinary work, and with the Dummy
for small and delicate work.

A Mallet or Dummy is not used in carving
chalk, but the chisel is pushed; the right hand
doing the pushing, and the left hand guiding and

366

Fig. гіб.

steadying the chisel (see fig. 216). If the chisel
were struck, the surface of the chalk would flake
off.

In cutting an Incised Inscription with the ordi¬
nary “V” section (see fig. 217), use one size of
chisel throughout. The width of the chisel should
generally be about the width of the letter stem
required. More elaborate sections necessitate the
use of several sizes of chisels.

INCISED LETTERS & LETTERS IN RELIEF

Inscriptions may be Incised or in Reliefs that
is, sunk or raised.1 The modus operandi and the
time spent in carving the actual letters are the
same in either case, but whereas when the Incised
letter is carved there is nothing more to be done,
after the carving of the Raised letter there is still
the stone surrounding it (i.e. the background) to
be dealt with, and this should simply be carved
smooth.2

Other things being equal, it becomes a question
of economy which form of lettering one will carve,
as the necessity of dealing with the background of
a Raised Inscription, while more than doubling the
opportunities of the carver, at least doubles the time
spent in carving.

Raised lettering will show out more clearly than
Incised lettering where there is little light.

1 In learning to cut Inscriptions one would naturally begin
with Incised letters.

* Where the ground between the letters is left plain, an
absolute flatness and evenness is not necessary. The common
method of jabbing or “ pecking” the background is objectionable.

367

Inscriptions
in Stone