Ibrahim Batchelder entered a design into the competition that encapsulated the frozen close-up geometry of a snowflake.

The design took Batchelder around four days to complete. He said: “I have been hand engraving for about 10 years, and my favourite part is the level of detail that can be attained, especially with deep relief and carved work.

“I was very surprised to win, and the best part was the opportunity to visit Baddeley Brothers and see how they produce their wonderful die-stamping and other printing methods.”

Batchelder is a full-time designer/maker and as well as engraving he also turns his hand to carving, inlay and turning in various materials. He recently completed a fully hand engraved and inlaid inkwell in bronze, silver, and copper based on a 13th century original from Khorasan.

He was born in Vermont, US and moved to Turkey in 1994. There he started an apprenticeship as a woodcarver and went on to gain a bachelor’s degree in Ottoman art.

After eight years in Istanbul, Batchelder moved to Jordan, where he participated in the reconstruction of the minbar of Salah al Din Ayyubi for the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, working alongside master craftsmen from Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia, and Jordan.

Charles Pertwee, commercial director at London-based Baddeley Brothers, which sponsors the competition every year, said: “I first met Ibrahim a year ago, engraving the most beautiful sunflower bud. So it delighted us when he won this year’s blind-judged Christmas card competition.

“During the printing process, we experimented with various coloured stocks to create a striking contrast with the silver snowflakes, resulting in the best outcome. The visit was a highly inventive experience.”