Ex officina Romani Aurelii
Romanus Aurelius
Nine Muses, engraved into black anodized aluminium. No ink, no print: a laser removes the anodized layer in a single pass, and the bare metal underneath becomes the light in the picture.
The Nine Muses
Four have left the workshop. The rest are being cut, one at a time.
music
tragedy
sacred song
dance
comedy
How one is made
One pass
The laser crosses the plate once. There is no second attempt on a card. What is removed cannot be put back.
Carried, not shelved
Wallet format. A Muse that lives in a pocket rather than behind glass, and turns up years later.
Sealed
Mounted on black board with corners, closed into a matte black envelope, and sealed with wax under the mark R·A.
The film
The short film made for the design awards — the engraving, the ledger, the wax.
The envelope leaves the workshop unwritten. Its matte black paper takes white ink beautifully, so if you like, write a name or a date on it in your own hand before you give it, the way letters were once addressed.
Questions
- What is the card made of?
- Black anodized aluminium, 86 × 54 × 0.8 mm — the size of a credit card. The image is laser engraved into the metal, not printed, so it cannot rub off or fade.
- What does the number on the back mean?
- Every card carries its own Numerus, engraved in the order the cards leave the workshop, like entries in a ledger. There is no edition limit — the count simply goes on.
- How does it arrive?
- Mounted on black board with corners, inside a matte black envelope closed by hand with molten wax under the mark R·A. No gift wrapping needed — breaking the seal is the gift.
- Where can I buy it?
- Each Muse is sold through the Etsy shop for €29, made to order in Munich and sent with tracking. Shipping cost and delivery estimate for your country are shown on the listing.
Follow the workshop
Five Muses are still to come. Until the letter is ready, the shop announces each one as it leaves the workshop.