Signed Copper Plated Pot. Inscribed "LYNCH 177" on base. Exquisitely detailed layers of copper that look like crumpled paper or fabric along the top, and hammered copper inside and on lower half. 

Size: 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 6 in. 

#2423 . 

Copper is one of the most important metals in the history of humanity, a chemical element that is soft, malleable, and ductile with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. It is used in everything from building construction to electrical systems to jewelry, and is one of the very few metals that occur in nature that is directly usable without the addition of alloys or other chemical manipulation. As early as 9000 BC mankind was using copper for a variety of hunting, cooking, and storage needs, and led to the art of smelting, molding, and shaping over the next 5000 years, culminating in the discovery of bronze. Copper likely directly gave birth to early currency and economic systems, as the easily obtained metal could be parceled out in exchange for goods and services by many tribes around the world. Copper is also an essential dietary mineral to all living organisms, usually obtained through the intake of salt, and crucial to liver function and bone density. Its universal impact on human life from early times led to its preferential status in works of art lasting long after superior materials had been discovered. Copper electroplating is now easily accomplished in home studios, allowing emerging artists to craft highly detailed works with relative ease without the aid of heavy equipment or major workshops. Although copper has been in use for at least 11,000 years, more than 95% of all copper ever mined and smelted has been extracted since 1900 AD, and was one of the catalysts of the recycling movement as economically viable copper became scarce in the 2000s. Since copper has antimicrobial properties and does not rust, the oxidation that occurs, while perhaps looking undesirable, is actually a protective element, as the greenish patina that forms keeps the underlying material safe from corrosion. Copper exposed to the elements can still survive for hundreds of years, while carefully preserved copper can last potentially thousands more.