Ornament with Vase; Two Designs for Sheaths

Daniel Hopfer is credited with making the first etching, in about 1500. Originally an etcher of armor, he wrested these delicate flourishes from the difficult surface of iron. The dark dotted backgrounds resulted from a novel process, pioneered by Hopfer but too laborious to catch on. The pinecone in his signature is the town symbol of Augsburg, Germany, where he lived.