Heated to 240°C, the tin melts and can be poured into a form. If you are lucky, you can watch Dragan Bunyevacski through a small window in his workshop as he works. All the forms which Dragan uses were designed and made by his uncle Bato, who operated the tin foundry in the Craftsmen’s Courtyard for more than 40 years, before his nephew inherited the business. After casting, the object is patinized, washed, machined and polished. “The first part goes quickly and easily,” says Dragan “What comes after requires a steady hand and attention to detail and might take many days to complete.”
Tin wares from Nuremberg have always enjoyed a good reputation. When the tin foundry opened in the Craftsmen’s Courtyard in 1972, there were still around 30 other tin foundries in the city. Today, the craft is rarely practiced. Yet tin is an extremely versatile material, which was originally alloyed together with copper to produce bronze.
