SIGNED COPPER PANEL w/AFRICAN SCENE IN RELIEF - HOW DO THEY DO THIS?

I bought a few things at a local yard sale and when I saw this as I was leaving with my purchases & asked how much, the lady said "Take it!"
It looks like a African/tribal daily life scene, but the artist's name (looks like Sepiano to me) doesn't sound African or tribal to me!
Does anyone know the artist? Any idea what this was for? (It looks like it was part of a facade?)

How did they make this? Was it lie a artist carving a plate for a print? But then how did they get the depth?
Thanks all

 

Very nice of her.
They create the design by hammering on the back, this is called repoussé, and then finely hammering some parts on the front to get more definition in the image, this is called chasing. Copper is very easy to work.
The name looks like Sapiano, a name I know from Malta, but it probably is Italian as well. It looks like an African village scene, but could have been made by a European, American, etc. who visited Africa, or was inspired by Africa.

 

That's incredible that they can hammer something so fine it looks like that!

 

It can get much finer, have you seen this thread:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/embossed-silver-betel-lime-box-from-indonesia.24090/#post-325713
Each and every piece in the thread is decorated using the same technique.