Islamic coins: Sand casting

Figure3.18 - Adams, Z., (2019). Zikr Umla. Brass and copper sand cast coins.

For the technique of sand-casting, I made multiple coins in brass, copper and gilding metal. Sand-casting is a type of casting I had not tried before, but hearing about the process and outcome made me curious to try it. I thought that the mold, being made of sand, would leave a sand-like texture to the surface of the object that is cast, which I would like to see on the coins.

Sand casting is quite a quick but messy process, considering that from start to finish, one could cast an object in under an hour. For sand casting, I used the following items: Casting sand, a two-part aluminum flask, a wooden dowel, a cement scraper, a 7mm drill bit, and a board to work on (see figure 3.19). The method of sand casting essentially involves creating a mold of your piece in casting sand that is well compressed by packing it using the wooden dowel, then creating a channel with the drill bit for the metal to flow to the piece and then proceeding to cast.

Figure 3.19 - Adams, Z., (2019). Sand casting equipment.

The result was beautiful. I was very happy with the way the coins had cast. The coins have the effect I was trying to achieve which is to look old and slightly damaged because of years of use. Some coins did not cast fully, because my metal was not melted correctly. These coins I found even more interesting because they look like very old coins that have pieces broken off. One word I could use to describe these and the other sand-cast coins is "relic".

Islamic coins - piercing and soldering

Figure 3.17 - Adams, Z., (2019). Coin made from piercing and soldering.

The second technique of coin making that I thought I would try out is to pierce out the word and solder it onto a piece of plate including the outer edge of the coin. The image above shows a prototype of the Arabic coin after the words and outer edge had been soldered on. I like the way the coin has come out because of how clearly in focus the Arabic word is but was too neat to resemble a Bedouin coin.

I thought about making a mould to sand cast this piece. Sand casting for my coin will involve creating a model in metal that will then be pressed into casting sand very well. The issue I was told about that might affect some of the detail of the words was the little holes and smaller details in the writing. Apparently, sand can get stuck in the holes. Hopefully with the use of files and burs, I  will be able to open up the small spaces.

Islamic coins

Figure 3.15 - Adams.Z., (2019) Zikr Umla. Image showing coins made using different techniques.

The pieces in this collection are made of a variety of metals including copper, brass, gilding metal and silver, and make reference to Arabic calligraphy and Bedouin jewellery. A Bedouin coin can be described as a silver coin that is antique, showing off dents and scratches, and overall has a used and relic-like look to it. In trying to make a coin that resembled Bedouin coins, I used a variety of techniques.

Below is a list of four techniques that I used to create coins:

1. Acid etching.
2. Piercing and soldering. 
3. Sand casting.
4. Lost wax casting.

Out of all the techniques that I tried, I found sand casting to be most successful in resembling Bedouin coins. The coin was not meant to be a perfect replica, but rather to be my interpretation of Bedouin coins.

The idea behind this project was to create a charm that represents what is valuable to me, which is Allah (God). The continuous remembrance of Allah is known in Arabic as "Zikr". The three main attributes translate as, " Glory to Allah", "All praise into Allah" and, "Allah is the greatest". This project has a direct relationship to creating as a form of worship because of it's reference to religion and the remembrance of Allah.

Throughout the making of this collection, there was constant remembrance (Zikr) of Allah, which is the definition of creating as a form of worship. I would say this project serves as a means of spiritual mediation for me as the designer and manufacturer and will also serve as spiritual mediation for the viewer who understands its purpose.