The process of polishing a surface to a smooth, lustrous finish using a hard, smooth tool, often applied to metals, drawings, or printmaking plates.
From Old French burnir, meaning 'to make brown' or 'to polish,' ultimately from Germanic origins. The term evolved from the brownish color that appeared when metal was polished to brightness.
Medieval manuscript illuminators used burnishing to make gold leaf literally glow on the page—they would rub it with polished stones or even wolves' teeth to create that mirror-like finish you see in Books of Hours! In modern printmaking, burnishing the back of paper while it's on an inked plate can create incredibly rich, velvety blacks.
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