,,transcriber',s ,,note ,italic text is denoted by underscores4 ,footnote anchors are denoted by number1 and the footnotes have been placed at the end of the chapter4 ,some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book4 ,,the ,,treatises ,,of ,,benvenuto ,,cellini ,,on ,,goldsmithing ,,and ,,sculpture4 ,illustration3 7,decorative ,flower7 ,,to ,,the ,,metal ,,workers ,,of ,,the ,,guild ,,of ,,handicraft1 ,,for ,,whom ,i ,,have ,,set ,,my ,,hand ,,to ,,this ,,work1 ,,and ,,to ,,whom ,i ,,look ,,for ,,the ,,fruit ,,it ,,is ,,to ,,bear4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents4 ,,page ,,an ,,introductory ,,account ,,of ,,the ,,origin ,,object ,,of ,,the ,,treatises ,,and ,,of ,,cellini',s ,,position ,,as ,,craftsman ,,and ,,author1 ,,by ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee ix ,,the ,,treatise ,,on ,,goldsmithing4 ,,introduction #a ,,chapter ,i4 ,,on ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,niello #g ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,on ,,filigree ,,work #aj ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,concerning ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,enamelling #ae ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,jewellery #bb ,,chapter ,v4 ,,how ,,to ,,set ,a ,,ruby #bd ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,how ,,to ,,set ,,an ,,emerald ,,and ,a ,,sapphire #be ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,foils ,,for ,,all ,,sorts ,,of ,,transparent ,,jewels #bh ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,on ,,the ,,cutting ,,of ,,the ,,diamond #ca ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,how ,,you ,,tint ,a ,,diamond #ce ,,chapter ,x4 ,,how ,,to ,,give ,a ,,diamond ,,its ,,reflector #dj ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,about ,,white ,,rubies ,,carbuncles #db ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,minuterie ,,work #de ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,on ,,cardinals' ,,seals #fa ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,steel ,,dies ,,for ,,stamping ,,coins #fg ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,about ,,medals #gb ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,how ,,the ,,before-,,mentioned ,,medals ,,are ,,struck #ge ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,another ,,way ,,of ,,striking ,,medals ,,with ,,the ,,screw #gg ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,how ,,to ,,work ,,in ,,large ,,ware1 ,,in ,,gold ,,and ,,silver ,,and ,,such ,,like #gi ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,how ,,to ,,begin ,,making ,a ,,vase #hj ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,another ,,and ,a ,,better ,,way ,,of ,,casting #ha ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,yet ,,another ,,furnace4 ,,such ,a ,,one ,,as ,i ,,made ,,in ,,the ,,castle ,,of ,,st4 ,,angelo ,,at ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,the ,,sack ,,of ,,rome #hb ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,how ,,to ,,fashion ,,vessels ,,of ,,gold ,,silver1 ,,likewise ,,figures ,,vases1 ,,and ,,all ,,that ,,pertains ,,to ,,that ,,branch ,,of ,,the ,,craft ,,called #8,,grosseria' #hc ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,another ,,method ,,for ,,gold ,,and ,,silver ,,in ,,such ,,things #hi ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,a ,,third ,,method ,,for ,,similar ,,things #ij ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,of ,,figures ,,made ,,in ,,silver ,,and ,,greater ,,than ,,life ,,size #ia ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,how ,,to ,,gild #if ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,a ,,recipe ,,for ,,making ,,colours ,,and ,,colouring ,,the ,,gilded ,,parts #ih ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,a ,,recipe ,,for ,,making ,,another ,,sort ,,of ,,gilding ,,colour #ii ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,third ,,gilding ,,colour ,,for ,,very ,,thick ,,gilding #ajj ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,the ,,wax ,,for ,,gilding #aja ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,yet ,,another ,,colouring #ajb ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,manner ,,of ,,applying ,,the ,,said ,,colour #ajc ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,what ,,you ,,do ,,when ,,you ,,wish ,,to ,,leave ,,bare ,,the ,,silver ,,in ,,certain ,,places #ajd ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,two ,,kinds ,,of ,,aquafortis1 ,,one ,,for ,,parting1 ,,the ,,other ,,for ,,engraving ,,and ,,etching #aje ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,aquafortis ,,for ,,parting #ajf ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,royal ,,cement #ajg ,,the ,,treatise ,,on ,,sculpture4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,on ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,casting ,,in ,,bronze #aaa ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,how ,,the ,,above-,,mentioned ,,clay ,,is ,,made #aac ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,another ,,method ,,of ,,casting ,,figures ,,in ,,bronze ,,of ,,life ,,size ,,or ,a ,,little ,,under #aad ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,how ,,to ,,construct ,,furnaces ,,for ,,casting ,,bronze1 ,,whether ,,for ,,statues1 ,,ordnance1 ,,or ,,other ,,such-,,like ,,things #abg ,,chapter ,v4 ,,how ,,to ,,carve ,,statues ,,or ,,intaglios1 ,,or ,,other ,,works1 ,,such ,,as ,,divers ,,beasts1 ,,in ,,marble ,,or ,,other ,,stones #acd ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,of ,,carrara ,,marbles #ace ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,a ,,disquisition ,,on ,,colossal ,,statues ,,whether ,,moderately ,,or ,,very ,,great #aci ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,making ,,great ,,colossi #ada ,a ,,glossary ,,of ,,italian ,,technical ,,terms ,,for ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,students4 ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,and ,,diagrams4 ,,illustrations4 ,to face page ,a page of reputed ,cellini ,jewellery #bb ,another page of the same #bd ,king ,francis' ,salt1 first view #eh ,king ,francis' ,salt1 second view #fj ,specimens of ,cardinals' ,seals #ff ,coins and ,medals from various collections #fh ,the ,south ,kensington ,breviary and another ,cellini attribution #cb ,a ,wax ,model for the ,perseus #ed ,the ,crucifix in the ,escurial #acd ,the ,perseus #aad ,the ,nymph of ,fontainebleau #aaj ,,diagrams4 page ,diagram illustrating the specchietto for the diamond #dj ,diagram illustrating the application of the cire perdue process to seals #fd ,diagram illustrating the coniare process of striking medals #gf ,diagram illustrating the process of striking medals with the screw #gh ,diagram illustrating the process of casting silver #gi ,diagram illustrating the rasoio for paring metal #hc ,biringoccio's ,furnace from the #8,pirotechnica' #acc ,,an ,,introductory ,,account ,,of ,,the ,,origin ,,and ,,object ,,of ,,the ,,treatises ,,of ,,cellini',s ,,position ,,as ,,craftsman ,,and ,,author4 ,this translation is intended for the workshop2 to bring home to ,english craftsmen1 more particularly to my colleagues and pupils at ,essex ,house1 the methods and practice of the ,goldsmith of the ,renaissance4 ,it is with this end in view that the work has been undertaken1 and ,i am in hopes that the knowledge of this may induce my critics to give it a kindlier reading1 aware as ,i am of its many shortcomings4 ,to the translator of the treatises two things are necessary1 ,italian scholarship and a thorough knowledge of workshop technicalities2 these two qualities are difficult--perhaps impossible--to combine1 and ,i am conscious of grave deficiencies in both1 but more especially in the former4 ,my endeavour has been to follow the lead set me by ,john ,addington ,symonds and to make this first ,english translation of the treatises serve1 if but in some far-off measure1 as a continuation volume to his masterly translation of the ,autobiography4 ,i have in many cases1 therefore1 adopted his manner of handling the subject1 but inasmuch as the more technical and less directly personal matter with which the treatises deal1 demands a somewhat different treatment1 ,i have sought to retain what ,i would call the workshop vernacular1 without at the same time sacrificing the archaism of the old ,italian dialect4 ,cellini's graphic touch1 which gives their manifold brilliancy to the varying passages of that wonderful autobiography1 is equally evident in the treatises4 ,but this very vividness increases the translator's difficulty4 ,the book is full of amusing workshop pictures and anecdotes2 but it is always a workshop book4 ,cellini sees each process before him as he describes it1 we1 however1 only hear the description1 we do not see the process1 hence it is often to the expert metal worker alone that some of the more complex technical narrations appeal1 while the translator is as frequently in doubt as to whether he has realised the picture the author sought to draw4 ,if1 in my ,english rendering of some of these pictures1 ,i have gone astray1 ,i trust that my errors may be pointed out by those who are better able to follow the author's meaning4 ,apology is perhaps scarcely necessary for what will often appear to be loose or ungrammatical ,english2 this may be an offence to the stylist or the pedant1 it certainly at first sight jars in what purports to be a scientific text book4 ,it would have been perfectly easy for me to cut out the improper stories1 trim up the phrases and give precision1 accuracy1 and even grammar to certain of the sentences1 but this would not have been ,cellini4 ,we have him not writing1 but rapidly with a delightful forgetfulness and confusion1 talking his treatises to a scribe1 and then omitting to revise them2 it is the spirit1 therefore1 of the spoken word1 not the careful writing1 that ,i have sought to render4 ,another difficulty hampers the translator3 the absence of any living workshop tradition upon which to fall back when his subject becomes too technical4 ,in our day of the subdivision of labour the study of the #8,eight branches of the glorious ,art of ,goldsmithing' as it was in ,benvenuto's time is a thing of the past4 ,except in a few instances where workshops are conducted with the enthusiasm of the artist rather than with the itching fingers of the tradesman1 there is no such thing as an all round grasp of the ,art such as ,cellini postulates4 ,to the tradesman1 the sculptor's ghost1 the working jeweller1 whether of ,birmingham1 ,bond ,street1 or ,clerkenwell1 in the thousand and one gimcrack shops where they sell #8merry-thought brooches1' #8our latest stock of ,christmas presents1' the glorious ,art of ,goldsmithing has no meaning1 or rather is a thing not of eight branches but of a hundred subdivisions1 fanned into existence by a hundred callous machines1 and workshop tradition has been destroyed by #8the ,trade4' ,for the same reason the circle of readers will be small4 ,to those of us who in recent years have been seeking to lift the art of the goldsmith out of the slough of industrial despond1 to show once more what the human hand and fancy can create1 and to relegate1 without repudiating it1 the machine to its right place in relation to human endeavour1 all this manifold production of rubbishy trinkets1 useless ornaments1 and things made for #8the ,market1' is stupid and wasteful1 and makes for the destruction not the ennobling or beautifying of life4 ,but though small1 the circle of my readers will be an earnest one4 ,to such as are setting the standard of modern ,art and ,craft1 to those who are fighting the trade1 and seeking to relate the creations of their hands to their reasons for existence in life1 this book of the aspirations traditions of the old ,italian will have some value4 ,fortunately their number is increasing1 not only in ,england1 but in ,europe in the ,united ,states4 ,in the workshops of men like ,frampton1 ,alfred ,gilbert1 ,simmons1 ,fisher1 ,nelson ,dawson2 among the artists of ,glasgow ,birmingham1 or among the keener creative spirits in ,new ,york1 whom ,i have found ready to welcome every genuine inspiration of the hand1 will the real readers be found4 ,it is perhaps not my province as a translator to criticise the artistic merit of ,cellini's work1 but as my hope in placing his treatises before ,english craftsmen is to familiarise them with his methods1 ,i may perhaps be allowed to give a few words of warning4 ,we must not take ,cellini at his own valuation1 and we must remember that he did not draw that subtle distinction between designer and executant that we nowadays are wont to do4 ,the fact that every aesthetic criticism is inevitably biased by the style of its period must be taken into account by the student1 if such criticisms as ,i myself1 speaking as an artist1 should venture to make1 are to be of value to him4 ,to ,cellini's best-known critics this applies in equal measure4 ,vasari1 ,delaborde1 ,milanesi1 ,brinckman1 ,symonds1 have each had their point of view so to speak4 ,to some1 like ,vasari1 it has been coloured by what the ,germans call #8die ,voll-,renaissance1' of which ,cellini in the art of goldsmithing was undoubtedly the central figure4 ,to others1 like ,delaborde1 it was influenced by the ,romantic ,reaction of the early ,nineteenth ,century1 and to them his work was #8an exploded myth4' ,criticised from the modern point of view--the point of view that distinguishes between goldsmith and sculptor1 between craftsman designer--we cannot rank him among the highest4 ,there is a want of feeling for proportion in such work as we have of his1 the whole is marred by the overcrowded detail1 often very exquisite in itself1 of the parts2 the craftsman indeed invariably overpowers the artist4 ,above all there is a want of spirituality in all his more important work1 a want of refinement of soul1 if one might so term it--a vulgarity4 ,there is none of the of ,donatello1 the graciousness of ,ghiberti or ,duccio1 the mingled strength and sweetness of ,verocchio1 the simple grandeur of ,pisanello4 ,michael ,angelo's manner perhaps we can trace1 but of his inspiration and his self-control there is none4 ,if we take ,cellini from the point of view he would himself have wished us to criticise him1 he challenges us first as a sculptor a designer of the figure4 ,in this sphere1 however1 he falls far short of the standard he calls upon us to judge him by4 ,affected uneven and imperfect in handling is his work when set beside that of earlier masters4 ,attenuated as we see in the nymph of ,fontainebleau1 thick exaggerated as in the ,perseus at ,florence1 leaden and stiff as in the ,neptune and ,cybele of the salt1 there is about his figures always something manqu1 they seem indeed to have in them the effort of a decaying school4 ,much the same criticism applies to his work as a medalist4 ,there is an absence of reserve the fine feeling for his limitations which puts him to my mind far beneath ,sperandio1 ,marende1 ,francia1 or other of the great ,cinquecento medalists1 and it needs no artist to point to the superiority of the ,greek coins with which with redoubtable modesty he compares his own4 ,to estimate his position as a jeweller is all but impossible1 as there is not one jewel remaining that can be authenticated as his4 ,if1 however1 we may be allowed to gauge his position as an artist from such pieces as are attributed to him in the ,rothschild1 ,vienna1 ,paris1 ,chantilly ,collections1 and of which ,i give some specimens on pages #bb and #bd1 ,i should be inclined to place him on an equal footing with any of the great masters of the early ,renaissance or the ,middle ,ages in any country4 ,the reasons of this are not far to seek4 ,jewellery is1 before all others1 an art of limitations4 ,an artist cannot but put less of himself into a gem than into a statue1 he is necessarily more cabined4 ,further1 ,cellini made most of his jewellery as a young man in ,florence ,rome1 when the traditions of the ,florentine workshop which reared ,brunelleschi1 ,donatello1 ,ghiberti1 were still fresh upon him1 before he had as yet attempted the impossible task of translating the gusto grando of ,michael ,angelo into minor craftsmanship4 ,subject to the disproving of the attributions1 ,i give therefore to ,cellini as a jeweller an equal place with the artists of ,greece and ,japan1 with those of ,spain1 ,england and ,germany in the ,middle ,ages the ,renaissance1 whose works are known to us2 but as medalist1 goldsmith and sculptor1 ,i would place him on a much lower footing4 ,my whole criticism might be summed up briefly thus3 he was a very first-rate craftsman1 but a very second-rate artist4 ,the ,autobiography and the ,treatises of ,cellini must be read together1 they tail into one another1 the former gives the life of the man1 the second the methods of the craftsman2 both alike bring out the writer's strong personality4 ,a few words are needed as to their bearing upon one another1 and the original of the present translation4 ,both the #8,vita' the #8,trattati' were dictated by ,cellini to amanuenses2 1 feeling their stylistic imperfections1 he offered both1 after their completion1 to literary friends to polish and refine before publication4 ,the #8,vita' he sent to the great historian ,benedetto ,varchi1 who had the good taste and the wisdom to leave the ,,ms4 as it was1 saying that he preferred it in its rough unpolished condition2 the latter was placed in less tactful hands1#a ,gherardo ,spini1 a literateur#b of the ,florentine ,academy1 to whom this task has with good reason been attributed1 undertook its recasting1 to the no small detriment of the original4 ,in this polished and emasculated form the #8,trattati' first appeared for #cjj years remained2 the ,editio ,princeps#c being published in ,florence in the shape of a very beautiful volume in #aefh1 three years before ,cellini's death4 ,it was not till #aheg that ,carlo ,milanesi1 working on the lines of ,francesco ,tassi1 who had in the ,marciana re-discovered the original ,,ms41 gave to the world the work as ,cellini had originally dictated it4 ,it is on the #8,trattati' of the ,marcian ,codex1 therefore1 not of the first edition1 that this translation is based4 ,cellini is fortunate in having been handled in our own day by four eminent and scholarly men1 and to the work of each of these am ,i indebted4 ,milanesi1#d #aheg1 may be placed first1 and his admirable and exhaustive edition of the #8,trattati' cannot be too highly praised4 ,herr ,justus ,brinckman#e followed him1 in #ahfg1 with his excellent translation of the #8,trattati' into ,german1 and his very able comparative treatment of the work of the monk ,theophilus#f with that of the ,cinquecento artist4 ,in #ahhc ,eugne ,plon#g brought out his splendid volume on the life and works of ,cellini1 especially valuable for its illustrations and the critical investigation of the authentic and attributed works of the master4 ,the work of our own ,john ,addington ,symonds is familiar to most ,english readers1 and it is to the study of his masterly translation of the #8,vita' that ,i owe my first introduction to ,cellini4 ,to his memory ,i would wish here to express my gratefulness1 and perhaps the best expression of this is in the assurance that through his introduction to ,cellini has grown up the wish to familiarise the methods of the ,renaissance workshop among ,english metal workers1 particularly among the metal workers of the ,guild of ,handicraft for whom this book is written4 ,my thanks are due to ,messrs4 ,plon ,cie4 for their kind permission to reproduce the blocks originally used in ,m4 ,eugne ,plon's volume1 and which illustrate in this book the various examples as ,cellini describes them2 and ,i am indebted to many friends1 artists scholars for the most part1 who have helped me with difficulties both in the text and in the workshop4 ,to ,mr4 and ,mrs4 de ,morgan and ,captain ,victor ,ward for many hours of helpful1 and1 ,i fear1 sometimes tedious revision2 to ,miss ,constance ,blount for her great assistance with the enamelling chapter1 to ,mr4 ,virtue ,tebbs for his advice among the coins1 to ,mr4 ,wenlock ,rollins ,mr4 ,t4 ,stirling ,lee in the complicated passages dealing with casting and the making of furnaces1 and above all to ,professor ,roberts-,austen and ,professor ,church1 not only for their invaluable help on all points dealing with metallurgy stones1 but also for their kind assistance in correcting the proofs of the whole book4 ,i have likewise to thank for their courtesy in allowing me to refer to them in one way or another over technical literary difficulties ,mr4 ,heywood ,sumner1 ,mr4 ,m4 ,hewlett1 ,professor ,giglioli of ,naples1 and ,professor ,fergusson of ,glasgow4 ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee4 ,essex ,house1 ,bow1 ,e4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,plon1 #aag4 #b ,see ,milanesi4 #8,i4 ,trattati1' c41 novamente messi alle stampe1 c4 #c ,pub4 ,firenze1 #aefh4 ,valentini ,panizzi e ,marco ,peri1 #hvo4 #d ,milanesi4 #8,due ,trattati1' c4 #e #8,abhandlungen ber die ,goldschmiedekunst und die ,sculptur v4 ,benvenuto ,cellini4' ,justus ,brinckman4 ,leipzig1 #ahfg4 #f ,theophilus lived in the early half of the #aath century4 ,see his #8,diversarum ,artium ,schedula4' ,hendrie's translation4 ,murray1 #ahdg4 #g #8,benvenuto ,cellini1 orfvre1 medailleur1 sculpteur1 c4' ,eugne ,plon4 ,paris1 #ahhc4 ,,the ,,treatise ,,on ,,goldsmithing4 ,,introduction4 ,what first prompted me to write1 was the knowledge of how fond people are of hearing anything new4 ,then in the second place1 this perhaps had greater weight still1 ,i felt much troubled in mind because of all sorts of annoying things the which ,i purpose in the following treatise1 with due modesty1 to recount4 ,that they will move my readers to great pity no little anger in my behalf ,i am quite positive4 ,forsooth you can often attribute to difficulties of this kind the most opposite turns1 to the greatest of evil the greatest of good1 and had the troubles in question never come upon me1 ,i for sure should never have set about writing down these most useful things4 ,thus it was that ,i did what no one had done before1#h viz41 undertook to write about those loveliest secrets and wondrous methods of the great art of goldsmithing4 ,things such as neither your philosopher1 no1 nor any other kind of man neither1 if he be not of the craft1 durst write about4 ,but since they of the craft are for the most part better at work than at talk1 they fall into the error of silence4 ,this at least ,i determined to avoid and so set myself strenuously to the task4 ,perhaps never before1 or at least so rarely that it has never been recorded1 has a man been found who was a specialist in more than one or at most two of the eight different branches of this goodly art1 but where he is1 he knows1 as you may imagine1 how to make a good thing of them4 ,mind you1 ,i don't intend to talk about those kinds of muddlers who set themselves busily dabbling in all the eight branches at once1 and who many and many a time are employed by such as either couldn't or wouldn't decide whether a bit of work was good or whether it was bad4 ,men of that ilk methinks may be likened to the sort of small shopkeeper who hangs out in the slums or suburbs of the town and does a little now in the bakery line1 now in the grocery line1 now in the apothecary line and now in general retail business--in fact1 a little bit of everything and nothing good in anything4 ,these sorts of fellows ,i don't intend to talk about1 but only of such as have come to the front in what they have done2 and only of the right workmanlike way of doing things4 ,well1 then1 ,i mind me to begin with1 of our city of ,florence and of how we there were the first to revive all those arts that are the sisters of this art of mine2 of how the earliest light dawned in the time of that first magnificent ,cosimo de ,medici2 of how under him flourished ,donatello the great sculptor1 and ,pippo di ,ser ,brunelleschi the great architect1 and of that wondrous ,lorenzo ,ghiberti1 in whose time were made the beautiful gates for what was once the ancient temple of ,mars and is now the baptistry of our patron ,st4 ,john4 ,lorenzo ,ghiberti4 ,he was a goldsmith indeed6 ,not only in the wonderfulness of his own peculiar style1 but because of his unwearied power of marvellous finish1 and his exceeding diligence in execution4 ,this man1 who must be counted among the most admirable of goldsmiths1 applied himself to everything1 but especially to the casting of smaller work4 ,and though now and then he set about doing large pieces1 yet one can see that his particular line was the production of small work1 and in this branch we may well call him a master in the art of casting4 ,indeed he pursued this with such excellence that as is still obvious to all1 no man can touch him4 ,antonio ,pollajuolo1 or the poulterer's son1 as he is always called1 was likewise a goldsmith1 and a draughtsman too of such skill1 that not only did all the goldsmiths make use of his excellent designs1 but the sculptors and painters of the first rank also1 and gained honour by them1 what was more6 ,this man did little else beside his admirable drawing1 but at this he was always busy4 ,maso ,finiguerra pursued only the art of engraving niello1 in which craft he had no rival1 and he too always made use of the designs of the aforesaid ,antonio4 ,amerigo wrought in the art of enamel1 was by far away the first craftsman in it either before or after his time4 ,he too1 great as he was1 made use of the designs of ,antonio del ,pollajuolo4 ,michaelangelo1 the goldsmith of ,pinzidimonte1 was a capital fellow1 and worked in a variety of divers things1 and especially in the setting of gems4 ,he wrought and designed well in niello1 in enamel1 in hammered work1 and though he come not up to the other distinguished men just named1 he deserves much praise4 ,he was the father of ,baccino#i whom ,pope ,clement made a ,knight of ,st4 ,john4 ,he added the surname ,bandinelli on his own account1 and since he had neither family nor arms really1 he took the sign of his knighthood for a coat4 ,about this man ,i shall have more than enough to tell as we go along4 ,bastiano del ,bernardetto ,cennini was a goldsmith and worked also in a number of different things4 ,his forefathers and he for many years made the dies for the coins of ,florence1 until the time that ,alexander de ,medici1 the nephew of ,pope ,clement1 became ,duke4 ,this ,bastiano in his youth did admirable large metal ware--grosserie#aj and hammered work1#aa and verily he was a first-rate craftsman4 ,and though ,i said above ,i wasn't going to talk about bunglers who take up a number of different things indifferently1 one must none the less distinguish between those who are bunglers those who are good craftsmen and worthy of praise4 ,piero1 ,giovanni1 and ,romolo1 were brothers1 the sons of one ,goro ,tavolaccino2 they were goldsmiths too1 they did good work and made good designs4 ,amongst other things they were very good at setting jewels in pendants1 rings and so forth1 and this they managed so tastefully that at that time1 #aeah1 they had no equal4 ,they also worked in intaglio1 in bas-relief1 and were not bad at hammered work4 ,stefano ,salteregli was a goldsmith too1 a good man in his day1 working like the others in a number of different things1 but he died young4 ,zanobi1 son of ,meo del ,lavacchio1 whose craft he followed1 was a goldsmith also1 had a charming way of working and designed admirably2 but he died just when his beard began to bloom1 at about the age of #bj4 ,indeed at that time there were many young fellows1 whose equal and colleague ,i was1 who promised great things to begin with2 but the most of them has death snatched away1 and the rest have either not stuck to the drudgery1 or with undeveloped talents have got no further4 ,as for me1 ,i have heard myself blamed because ,i have talked so much about such excellent men in one profession only2 but ,i have still to tell of work in filigree1 an art though the least beautiful of many beautiful arts1 still very beautiful for all that4 ,piero di ,nino was a goldsmith1 who worked only in filigree1 an art which1 while it affords great charm1 is not without its difficulties4 ,he1 however1 knew how to work in it better than anyone else4 ,inasmuch as there was great riches in those days within the town1 so was it likewise in the country1 especially among the peasant folk of the plain1 who used to get made for their wives a sort of velvet girdle with buckle and pin1 about half a cubit long and covered all over with little spangles4 ,these buckles and pins were all wrought in filigree with great delicacy and fashioned in silver of excellent setting4 ,when later on ,i shall show how these things are made1 ,i am sure the reader will find delight in them4 ,i knew this ,piero de ,nino when an old man of near #ij years4 ,he died partly from fear of dying of hunger1 and partly from a shock he got one night4 ,as for the dying of hunger it was this way3 ,an edict had been issued in the city that no more belts should be worn either by peasants or others2 and the poor old fellow1 who knew no other branch of goldsmithing but this1 was always grieving1 and cursing from the bottom of his heart all those who had a hand in making this law4 ,he lived near a draper's shop1 where was a young rogue of an urchin1 the son of one of them that had made the law4 ,the boy1 hearing him thus continually cursing his father1 #8,oh1 ,piero1' said he1 #8if you go on swearing like that1 some fine day the devil will come and carry you off1 bones and all6' ,now one ,saturday night1 when the old chap had worked right up to midnight to finish some job he was engaged on that was to go to ,bologna1 the urchin took it into his head to play him a practical joke and give him a fright4 ,so he stood on the watch for the old man on his way home4 ,the latter1 as was his wont1 locked up his shop1 took his lantern in his hand1 and1 with the lappet of his cloak thrown over his head1 trudged along ever so slowly1 and as lonely as a ghost1 home to his house1 which stood in the via ,mozza4 ,just as he was turning the corner of the old market the urchin1 who was awaiting in ambush for him1 and had tricked himself out with rag-tag1 sulphur lights1 blue fire1 and such-like horrible devilries1 suddenly jumped out upon him4 ,the poor old thing was so terrified at the fearful monster thus suddenly coming at him1 that he lost his senses2 so much so that the boy1 seeing he had played the fool1 had to lead the old man home as well as he could1 and consign him to the care of his grandsons1 among whom was one called ,meino1 a courier1 who afterwards became warden of ,arezzo4 ,suffice it1 the fright had been so great1 that soon after the poor old fellow died4 ,this is usually stated as the actual cause of ,piero's death1 and ,i have myself ofttimes heard it narrated4 ,antonio di ,salvi was another of our ,florentine goldsmiths1 a capital grosserie worker4 ,he died at a very great age4 ,salvatore ,pilli likewise was a first-rate man1 who also died very old2 but he never worked in a shop of his own1 but always in someone else's4 ,solvatore ,guasconti was an all round man1 more especially good in small things4 ,his work in niello and enamel is well worthy of praise4 ,you must know too that there were ever so many others1 all of them fellow ,florentines1 who commenced in the goldsmith's art and took their inspiration from it for various other arts1 such as sculpture1 architecture1 and other notable lines of work4 ,donatello1 for instance1 the greatest sculptor that ever lived1 about whom ,i shall have plenty to say later on1 stuck to the goldsmith's art right along into manhood4 ,pippo di ser ,brunellesco1 the first who gave new vigour to the glory of architecture1 he too was a goldsmith for a long time4 ,lorenzo della ,golpaia also was a goldsmith1 and always continued true to the art4 ,as for him1 he was a very prodigy of nature1 for he specialised in clock making1 and finding his own peculiar bent in this line1 so wonderfully reproduced the secret of the heavens and the stars that you really might have thought he lived up in the sky6 ,amongst other things he showed his cunning in a clock he made for the magnificent ,lorenzo de ,medici4 ,in this clock he put the ,medici arms1 making them represent the seven planets2 these used to move round slowly1 and revolve just like the planets in the sky do4 ,this clock is still in its place1 but it is not what it used to be because it has been so badly taken care of4 ,andrea del ,verocchio1 the sculptor1 remained a goldsmith up to the time of manhood4 ,he was the master of ,lionardo da ,vinci1 painter1 sculptor1 architect1 philosopher1 musician2--a veritable angel incarnate of whom ,i shall have heaps to tell whenever he comes to mind4 ,desiderio1 too1 was a goldsmith in his youth1 who took to sculpture later1 and was a great master in the art4 ,i can't possibly recount all our ,florentines who were adepts in the great goldsmiths' art1 suffice it that ,i have mentioned most of those who became famous therein4 ,but ,i will say a word or two about some of the foreigners who seem to me pre-eminent1 and ,i will begin with such as wrought in niello4 ,martino#ab was a goldsmith from beyond the ,alps1 who came from some ,german town or other4 ,he was a first-rate fellow in designing1 in intaglio work in the way they do it there4 ,it was just about the time when the fame of our ,maso ,finiguerra spread abroad1 who did those wonderful niello intaglios1--by the way1 you may still see preserved in our lovely ,church of ,st4 ,john of ,florence a silver pyx of his1 with a crucifix above it1 the two malefactors1 with a lot of detail of horses and other things4 ,antonio del ,pollajuolo1 whom ,i mentioned before1 did the design1 and ,maso the niello work4 ,well1 then1 this good ,german ,martino set to with great diligence and zeal to practise the art of niello1 and turned out a number of excellent things4 ,but because he saw that he could not produce work that should come up to our ,finiguerra's for beauty and go1 yet being a right-minded man1 and wishing to do something that should be generally useful1 he set to cutting his intaglios on copper plates with the graver 7bulino7 for so is the little steel tool called with which you engrave4 ,in this wise he engraved a number of pretty little picture-tales1 very well composed1 and with great understanding of light shade1 in fact as far as one can say such a thing of a piece of ,german work1 they were charming4 ,alberto ,duro also tried his hand at engraving1 and with much greater success than ,martino4 ,he too was not satisfied with the results of his work in niello1 and so determined to do engravings1 and this he did so well that no one can hold a candle to him4 ,he too was a goldsmith1 nor was he satisfied with niello only1 he resorted in addition to his engraving1 and did extraordinarily well in that line4 ,andrea ,mantegni1 our great ,italian painter1 tried it too1 but couldn't do it1 so the less said about it the better4 ,antonio ,pollajuolo1 the same happened with him1 and because both these men could make nothing of it1 ,i'll say naught but that ,mantegni was an excellent painter1 and ,pollajuolo an excellent draughtsman4 ,antonio da ,bologna#ac ,marco da ,ravenna must also be counted among the goldsmiths4 ,antonio was the first who began to engrave in the manner of ,alberto ,duro4 ,he studied closely the work of the great painter ,raphael of ,urbino4 ,he engraved beautifully1 could design in the right good ,italian manner1 and studied closely the style and methods of those old ,greeks1 who always know how to do things better than other folk4 ,many others pursued this branch of engraving1 but because none of them came up to the great ,alberto ,duro1 even also a long way behind our ,italian ,antonio of ,bologna1 ,i'll not mention them2 more especially as to do so would be to go beyond the limits of our inquiry1 which is to consider the lovely art of niello and all its many difficulties4 ,now you must know that when ,i first was a goldsmith's apprentice in the #aeth year of the century1 which was my #aeth year too1 the art of engraving in niello had quite fallen into disuse4 ,it was only because a few old men still living did nothing else but talk of the beauty of the art and of the great masters who had wrought in it1 above all of ,finiguerra1 that ,i was seized with a mighty desire to learn it2 so ,i set to diligently to master it1 with the examples of ,finiguerra before me1 made many good pieces4 ,my difficulty1 however1 was how to find out after ,i had engraved the intaglio how the niello that was to fill it ought to be made4 ,so ,i went on trying ever so hard until ,i not only mastered the difficulties of making the material1 but the whole art became a mere child's play to me4 ,here1 then1 is the way in which niello work is done4 ,,footnotes3 #h ,cellini had of course never heard of ,theophilus1 the monk of the #aath century1 and his great treatise #8,diversarum ,artium ,schedula4' #i ,baccio ,bandinelli1 the sculptor1 one of ,cellini's bitterest enemies4 #aj ,grosseria4 ,cellini uses this term for all large ware as distinguished from #8minuteria' or small ware4 #aa ,di cesello3 what we should call repouss4 #ab ,martin ,schongauer4 #ac ,marcantonio ,raimondi4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,on ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,niello4 ,take an ounce of the finest silver1 two ounces of copper well purified1 and three ounces of lead as pure as you can possibly get it4 ,then take a little goldsmiths' crucible sufficiently big to melt the three in together4 ,you must first take the one ounce of silver the two ounces of copper and put the two together in the crucible1 and the crucible in a goldsmiths' blast-furnace1 and when the silver and the copper are molten well mixed together1 add the lead to them4 ,then quickly draw the crucible out1 and with a bit of charcoal held in your tongs1 stir it round till it is well mixed4 ,the lead1 according to its wont1 will make a little scum1 so with your charcoal try and take this off as much as possible1 until the three metals are fully cleanly blended4 ,at the same time have ready a little earthenware flask about as big as your fist1 the neck of which should1 however1 not be wider than might hold one of your fingers4 ,fill this flask about half full with very finely ground sulphur1 empty into this your molten mass1 while quite fluid hot4 ,then quickly stuff it up with moist earth1 and holding it in your hand wrapped up in a stout bit of canvas1 say for instance an old sack1 shake it to fro while it is cooling4 ,as soon as it is cold1 break the flask and take out the stuff1 and you will see that by virtue of the sulphur it will have got the black colour you want4 ,but mind you take care that the sulphur is the blackest you can get4#ad ,as for the flask1 you may take one of those which are generally used for separating gold from silver4 ,take then your niello1 which will now be in a number of little grains1--for you must know that the object of all this shaking up and down whilst cooling in the sulphur is to make it combine1-- put it anew into a crucible1 then melt it in a moderate fire1 adding to it a grain of borax4 ,when you have recast it two or three times1 and after each casting broken up your niello1 take it out1 for you will see it will now be splendidly broken up1#ae and that is as it ought to be1--and that will do4 ,now ,i'll show you how to apply and make up your niello2 but first a word or two about the plate on which your intaglio is to be engraved1 whether in silver or in gold1 for niello is used only on these metals4 ,if you want to get the plate on which you have cut your work nice and smooth without holes1#af you must boil it in a solution of clean water mixed with a deal of very clean charcoal1 the best for this purpose being charred oak4 ,when your work has cooked in the pot for about a quarter of an hour or so1 transfer it to a beaker of clean fresh water1 and scrub it for a long time with a clean brush till every particle of dirt be rubbed off it4 ,then see that you have ready a bit of iron long enough to hold the work to the fire3 its length should be about three or four palms1 more or less in accordance with what the nature of your work may seem to you to need4 ,but mind you look out that the iron to which your work is fixed be neither too thick nor too thin2 for it should be of such sort that when you put both to the fire they should heat equally2 for if either the iron or the plate become heated first1 you'll make a mess of it1 so pay great attention to this4 ,next take your niello1 crush it on an anvil1 or on a porphyry stone1 do this with a pair of pliers or a copper rod1 and so that it does not spring aside4 ,take care1 too1 that it is crushed to grains and not to a powder1 these grains should be as equal as possible1 and about the size of a grain of millet or sago1 if not less4 ,after this put the niello grains into some sort of vase or glass bottle1 and with fresh clean water wash it out well till it be quite purified from any dust or dirt that may have got into it during the pounding4 ,this done1 take a spatula of brass or copper1 and spread the niello evenly over your engraved plate to about the thickness of the back of a table-knife4 ,then powder over it a little well-ground borax1 but mind it be not too much4 ,put a few pieces of wood or charcoal so that you can blow them into flame with your bellows1 and this done1 put your work very slowly to the wood fire subject it to the heat very dexterously till you see the niello beginning to melt4 ,but look out that1 when it does begin to melt1 you don't get it too hot1 or into a red heat1 for if it gets too hot1 it will lose its natural character and become soft1 because1 the principal component of niello being lead1 this lead will begin to corrode the silver1 or even the gold of which your work is made2 in this way you might have all your pains for nothing4 ,have great heed to this1 therefore1 which is as important as your good engraving to begin with4 ,now before we follow the work through to the end1 we will pause and consider things a bit4 ,i advise you when you are holding your work over the fire and see the niello begin to disintegrate1 to have at hand a fairly stout iron rod1 with a flatted end3 this end hold in the fire1 and when the niello begins to run1 rapidly put your hot iron over it1 and1 treating it as if it were wax1 spread it well1 until it has quite filled all the graven part of your intaglio4 ,after this1 when your work has got cold1 take a delicate file1 and file off your niello1 after you have removed a certain quantity1 not so as to graze your intaglio1 but sufficient to lay it bare1 take your work and put it on the hot ashes or the live charcoal4 ,when it is a little hotter than the hand can bear1 or even a bit hotter still1 but before it gets too hot1 take your steel burnisher1 well-tempered1 with a little oil burnish your niello as firmly as the work would seem to admit of1 and with due discretion in every case4 ,the only object of this burnishing1 is to stop up certain bubble holes#ag that sometimes come during the process4 ,you've only got to have patience enough1 and with a little practice you'll find this burnishing stops all the holes up beautifully4 ,after this1 take your knife touch up the intaglio4 ,then to finish with take some ,tripoli powder and pounded charcoal1 with a reed peeled down to the pith1 scrub your work till it is smooth and beautiful4 ,oh thou discreetest of readers1 marvel not that ,i have given so much time in writing about all this1 but know that ,i have not even said half of what is needed in this same art1 the which in very truth would engage a man's whole energies1 and make him practise no other art at all4 ,in my youth from my #aeth to my #ahth year ,i wrought a good deal at this art of niello1 always from my own designs1 and was much praised for my work4 ,,footnotes3 #ad ,this is obscure1 as the purest yellow sulphur would answer4 #ae ,perhaps3 #8have a fine fracture4' #af ,bucolini4 ,perhaps3 #8specks4' #ag ,spugnuzze4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,on ,,filigree ,,work4 ,though ,i don't work much in filigree myself1 ,i have none the less done one or two very difficult and very beautiful pieces of work in this line1 and so ,i'll say something about it4 ,the art is a charming one1 and when well executed well understood is as pleasing to the eye of man as anything done in goldsmithing4 ,those who did the best work in filigree were the men who had a good grip of drawing1 especially designing from foliage pierced spray work1 for everything that you set to work upon requires first of all that you think it out as a design4 ,and though many have practised the art without making drawings first because the material in which they worked was so easily handled and so pliable2 still1 those who made their drawings first did the best work4 ,now give ear to the way the art is pursued4 ,innumerable are the purposes to which you may apply filigree4 ,so first of all we will begin with some of the ordinary every-day things then have a look at such other things as will make a man's mouth water4 ,the more ordinary use to which filigree is applied1 is for buckles and pins for belts1 such as ,i told of in the introductory chapter of my book4 ,then is it used1 too1 for making crosses earrings1 small caskets1 buttons1 certain kinds of little charms and divers manner of necklaces2 these latter are often worn with fillings of musk1 as is also frequently the case with bracelets2 so an endless other variety of things4 ,now it is necessary that for everything that you want to execute in this line of work1 you must to begin with make a gold or silver plate exactly in the way you want your work ultimately to be4 ,after this is done1 and of course1 after you have made your drawing1 have ready all the different kinds of wire of which you will have need1 such for instance as thick and thin middling1 the usual three sizes1 in due sequence1 and perhaps a fourth size likewise4 ,then have ready some #8granaglia'--granulated metal--for so the stuff is called2 and in order to make this1 you take your gold or silver1 melt it1 and when it is well melted1 pour it into a pot of powdered charcoal4 ,in this way every kind of granulated metal is made4#ah ,then1 too1 you must have your solder prepared and ready to hand1 and the right solder to use is the #8terzo' solder1 so called because you make it with two ounces of silver and one of copper4 ,now though many are accustomed to make solder with brass1 be advised that it is much better to make it with copper1 and less risky4 ,take heed that you file your solder very fine1 then put to every three parts of solder one of well ground borax1 and1 having well mixed them1 put them in a borax crucible#ai such as a goldsmith uses4 ,then have handy some gum tragacanth1#bj a sort of gum which you can buy at any apothecary's4 ,dissolve this gum tragacanth in a little cup or vase1 or whatever is convenient4 ,when you have all these things in order1 you will also need by you two pairs of stout little pliers1 and also a small sharp chisel cut angularly1#ba like the wood-engravers use2 but its handle ought to be short1 the length size of the handle of a graver4 ,for its object is to cut the wires in accordance as you may wish to twist them either one way or the other1 as your design requires1 or your taste determines4 ,you will also need a copper plate fairly stout1 very smooth1 and about the size of the palm of your hand4 ,when you have twisted your wire into the shapes you want1 you must place it bit by bit on the copper plate1 and so bit by bit with a camel's-hair brush streak it over with the solution of gum tragacanth1 arranging at the same time the little gold silver beads tastily4 ,during the time that you are piecing together your bits of leaves and other particles1 the tragacanth water will hold them together sufficiently to prevent their moving4 ,then every time that you have composed a part of your spray-work1 and before the tragacanth water has got dry1 throw a little soldering powder out of your borax upon it1 and put just as much as may suffice to solder your spray work1 not more4 ,the object of putting just enough on1 is that the work when soldered shall be graceful and slender1 for too much solder makes it look fat4 ,hereupon1 when it is time for soldering1 you will need in readiness a little stove1 such as is used for enamelling1 but since there is a great difference between the melting of enamel the soldering of filigree1 you will need to heat this furnace with a much smaller fire4 ,then attach your work to a little iron plate1 but so that the work stands free above it1 and put it little by little to the heat of the furnace1 until the borax shall have fumed away1 done as is its wont4 ,now too much heat would move the wires you have woven out of place1 so it is essential to take the greatest possible care1--really it's quite impossible to tell it properly in writing3 ,i could explain it all right enough by word of mouth1 or better still show you how it's done--still1 come along--we'll try and go on as we started6 ,when you are ready to begin soldering1 and want to make your solder flow1 put your work in the furnace1 place beneath it a few little pieces of well-dried wood1 fanning them up a bit with your bellows4 ,then it is not a bad thing1 too1 after this to throw a few coarse cinders upon the fire1 this done at the right moment does a deal of good4 ,but it is practice and experience1 together with a man's own discretion1 that are the only real ways of teaching one how to bring about good results in this or in anything4 ,when your work is soldered1 that is to say if it be silver-work1 you must to begin with1 cook it in tartar#bb mixed with some salt or other1 and cook it so long till all the borax is off it4 ,this ought to last about a quarter of an hour1 by which time it will be quite clean1 free from borax4 ,if on the other hand it be made of gold1 you must put it in strong vinegar for about #bd hours1 until you see a little salt forming upon it4 ,and so1 after this manner can you fashion all sorts of rosettes that may be needed in your work1 such as ,i have not only seen1 but myself made1 and that give much variety to the work1 when you have ordered them each in their place1 and in accordance with your design4 ,but now ,i'll tell you yet something further about the cunning of this charming art2 ,i'll tell you of a wonderful and priceless work that was shown me in ,france1 in ,paris1 their most beautiful richest city--which the ,french1 according to their language1 call #8,paris simpari1' that is to say #8sans peer1' or without equal4 ,it was in the service of ,king ,francis in the year #aeda4 ,this most royal and splendid of ,kings retained me in ,paris1 and gave me of his liberality a castle1 standing in the city itself1 and called by the name of the #8little ,nello4' ,here ,i worked for four years1 the which will be recounted all in its place when ,i come to tell of the great works which ,i made for this most worthy ,king4 ,here ,i will continue my talk as to the way of working in filigree1 and as ,i promised1 tell of a work most rare--a work such as may perchance never again be executed--which ,i saw in this city4 ,one day--a solemn fte day--the ,king went at ,vespers to his #8,sainte ,chapelle' in ,paris4 ,he sent word to me that ,i was to be at ,vespers too1 as he had something nice to show me4 ,when ,vespers were over the ,king called me to him through the ,constable1 who sometimes represents the ,king himself4 ,this gentleman came1 took me by the hand1 led me before the ,king1 who with great kindness and affability began to show me the most beautiful trinkets and jewels1 and briefly asked me my opinion on them4 ,after these he showed me a variety of ancient camei about as big as the palm of a large hand1 and asked me many things about them1 on which ,i gave him my opinion4 ,they had stood me in the middle of all of them2--there was the ,king1 and the ,king of ,navarre his brother-in-law1 and the ,queen of ,navarre1 and all the first flower of the nobility1 of those that came nearest to the crown2 before all of them his ,majesty showed me many beautiful priceless things1 about which we talked for a long time to his great delight4 ,thereupon he showed me a drinking bowl without a foot of a middling size1 wrought in filigree with the choicest spray-work1 upon which much other ornamental detail was admirably applied4 ,now list to my description of it6 ,in among the spray-work and interstices of filigree were settings of the most beautiful enamel of various colours2 and when you held it to the light these enamel fillings almost looked as if they were transparent--indeed it seemed impossible that such a piece of work should ever have been made4 ,thus at least thought the ,king1 asked me very pleasantly1 since ,i had thus highly praised the bowl1 could ,i possibly imagine how the work was done4 ,i thereupon answered his question thus3 #8,sacred ,majesty1' quoth ,i1 #8,i can tell you exactly how it is done1 even so much so that you1 being the man of rare ability that you are1 shall know how just as well as the master himself that made it1 knew1 but the explanation of the methods that underlie its making will take rather a long time4' ,at these words of mine all the noble assembly that waited on his ,majesty thronged around me1 the ,king declared he had never seen work of so wondrous a kind1 and since it was so easy of explanation1 bade me tell as ,i had promised4 ,then spake ,i3 #8,if you want to make a bowl like this1 you must begin by making one of thin sheet iron1 about the thickness of a knife back larger than the one you want ultimately to produce in filigree4 ,then with a brush you paint it inside with a solution of fine clay1 cloth shearings ,tripoli clay#bc finely ground2 then you take finely drawn gold wire of such a thickness as your wise-minded master may wish that of his bowl to be4 ,this thread should be so thick that if you beat it out flat with a hammer on your clean little cup1 it bends more readily in the width than otherwise1 in such a way that it may then be flattened out to a ribbon shape1 two knife-blades broad1 as thin as a sheet of paper4 ,you must be careful to stretch your thread out very evenly1 have it tempered soft1 because it will then be easier to twist with your pliers4 ,then with your fine design before you1 you commence to compose your stretched thread inside the iron bowl1 first the principal members1 according to their way of arrangement1 piece by piece painting them over with solution of gum tragacanth1 so that they adhere to the clay-solution with which you pasted the inside4 ,then when your craftsman has set all his principal members and larger outlines1 he must put in the spray work1 each piece in its place1 just as the design guides him1 setting it spray by spray1 bit by bit in the way ,i have told you4 ,and then when all this is in proper order1 he must have ready his enamels of all colours1 well ground and well washed4 ,it is true you might do the soldering first before you put in the enamel1 you would do it in the way that ,i explained above when ,i considered the soldering of filigree work1 but it's as good one way as the other1 soldered or not soldered4 ,and when all the preliminary work is carefully done1 and all the interstices nicely filled with the coloured enamels1 you put the whole thing in the furnace1 in order to make the enamel flow4 ,to begin with you must only subject it to a slight heat1 after which1 when you have filled up any little openings with a second coat of enamel you may put it in again under a rather bigger fire1 if it appear after this that there are still crannies to be filled up1 you put it to as strong a fire as the craft allows and as your enamels will bear4 ,when all this is done you remove it from the iron bowl1 which will be easy by reason of the paste of clay to which the actual work and the enamels are attached4 ,then with a particular kind of stones called 8frasinelle10 and with fresh water you begin the process of smoothing it down1 and you must go on with this so long till the enamel is polished down to an equal thickness throughout and as may seem good to you4 ,and when you have got as far as the 8frasinelle0 can take you1 you may continue your polishing with still finer stones1 and lastly with a piece of reed and tripoli clay 7as ,i explained it in niello work71 then the surface of your enamel will be very smooth and beautiful4' ,when the admirable ,king ,francis heard all this description of mine1 he declared that they who knew so well how to explain1 doubtless knew still better how to perform1 that ,i had so well pointed out to him the whole process of a work that he had erst thought impossible1 that now1 owing to my description1 he really thought he could do it himself4 ,and therewith he heaped great favours upon me1 such as you can't possibly imagine4 ,,footnotes3 #ah ,fine granules of gold are made by cutting gold wire into short lengths1 mixing the cut pieces with charcoal1 placing the mixture in a crucible and then heating the whole up to the melting point of the metal4 ,afterwards the charcoal is washed away1 and the gold granules 7which have been fused into a round form7 sorted according to size by sifting4 #ai ,borraciere3 perhaps a borax pan4 #bj ,dragante4 #ba ,uno scarpelletto augnato4 #bb #8,gomma di botte1' i4e41 tartrate of potash4 #bc ,tripolo4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,concerning ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,enamelling4 ,now let us have a talk about the beautiful art of enamelling1 and therewith consider those excellent craftsmen who wrought best therein2 and with the knowledge of their lovely creations before us see what is beautiful and what is difficult in this art1 and get to understand the difference between what is really good and what is indifferent4 ,as ,i said in the first chapter of my book1 this art was well practised in ,florence1 and ,i think too that in all those countries where they used it1 and pre-eminently the ,french and the ,flemings1 and certainly those who practised it in the proper manner1 got it originally from us ,florentines4 ,and because they knew how difficult the real way was1 that they would never be able to get to it1 they set about devising another way that was less difficult4 ,in this they made such progress1 that they soon got according to popular opinion the name of good enamellers4 ,it is certainly true that if a man only works at a thing long enough1 all his practising makes his hand very sure in his art3 that was the way with the folk who lived beyond the ,alps4 ,as for the right and proper way about which ,i intend to talk1 it is done in this wise4 ,first you make a plate either of gold or silver of the size and shape that your work is to be4 ,then you prepare a composition of #8pece greca1'#bd and brick ground very fine1 and a little wax2 according to the season2 as for the latter you must add rather more in cold than in hot weather4 ,this composition you put upon a board great or small in accordance with the size of your work1 on this you put your plate when you have heated it4 ,then you draw an outline with your compasses in depth rather less than a knife back1 and1 this done1 ground your plate anywhere within this outline and with the aid of a four-cornered chisel to the depth which the enamel is to be1 and this you must do very carefully4 ,after this you can grave in intaglio on your plate anything that your heart delights in1 figure1 animals1 legend with many figures1 or anything else you like to cut with your graver and your chisels1 and with all the cleanness that you possibly can4 ,a bas-relief has to be made about the depth of two ordinary sheets of paper1 and this bas-relief has to be sharply cut with finely-pointed steel tools1 especially in the outlines1 and if your figures are clothed with drapery1 know that these folds1 if sharply drawn and well projecting1 will well express the drapery4 ,it is all a question of how deeply your work is engraved1 and the little folds flowerets that you figure on the larger folds may go to represent damask4 ,the more care you put into this part of your work1 the less liable your enamel will be to crack peel off hereafter1 and the more carefully you execute the intaglio the more beautiful your work will be in the end4 ,but don't imagine that by touching up the surface of your work with punches and hammer1 it will gain anything in the relief1 for the enamels will either not stick at all1 or the surface that you are enamelling will still appear rough4 ,and just as when a man cuts an intaglio he often rubs it with a little charcoal1 such as willow or walnut wood1 which he rubs on with a little saliva or water1 the same you may do here when you cut your intaglio in order to see it stand out better1 because the shine made by the metal tools on the plate will make it difficult for you to see your work4 ,but1 as owing to this the work gets a bit untidy and greasy1 it is necessary1 when you have finished it1 to boil it out in a concoction of ashes#be such as was described above for niello work4 ,now let us say you want to begin enamelling your work1 and that it is in gold4 ,i propose telling you first of how to enamel on gold1 and then how to do it on silver4 ,for both gold and silver the same cleanness is necessary1 and in either case the same method1 but there is a little difference in applying the enamel and also in the actual enamels applied1 for the red enamel cannot be put on silver because the silver does not take it4 ,the reasons of this ,i would explain1 were it not too long a business1 so ,i'll say nothing about it1 especially as to do so would take us beyond the scope of our inquiry4 ,furthermore ,i have no intention of talking about how enamels are made1 because that in itself is a great art1 also practised by the ancients1 discovered by wise men1 but as far as we are aware the ancients did not know of the transparent red enamel1 which it is said1 was discovered by an alchemist who was a goldsmith as well4 ,but all ,i need tell of it is that this alchemist1 while engaged in the search of how to make gold1 had mixed together a certain composition1 and when his work was done1 there appeared among the stuff in the metal rest of his crucible a sediment of the loveliest red glass1 just as we see it to this day4 ,after much time and trouble1 by many mixings of it with other enamels the goldsmith finally discovered the process of making it4 ,this enamel is far the most beautiful of all1 and is termed in the goldsmiths' art #8smalto roggio1' red enamel1 or in ,french #8rogia chlero' 7rouge claire7 that is to say1 and which means in other words1 red and clear or transparent4 ,a further sort of red enamel we have also1 which is not transparent and has not the splendid colour1 and this is used on silver because that metal will not take the other4 ,and though ,i have not had much practical experience of it1 ,i have tried it often enough to be able to talk about it4 ,as for the other1 it lends itself more aptly to gold by reason of its being produced from the minerals and compositions that have been used in the search how to make gold4 ,now let us return to the process of enamelling4 ,the method of enamelling is much the same as painting1 for you can have as many colours as come within human ken4 ,and just as in painting so in enamelling you have them all ranged in order and all well ground to begin with4 ,we have a proverb in the craft which says3 #8,smalto sottil e niello grosse4' #8,enamel should be fine1 niello should be coarse1' and that's just what it is4 ,you put your enamel in a little round mortar of well-hardened steel1 and about the size of your palm1 then you pound it up with very clean water and with a little steel pestle specially made for the purpose of the necessary size4 ,some1 to be sure1 have pounded their enamels on porphyry or serpentine stone1 which are very hard1 moreover have done this dry1 but ,i now think that the steel mortar is much better because you can pound it so much cleaner4 ,the reasons of this we may consider later1 but because we want here to be as brief as possible to avoid any unnecessary difficulties and useless confusion1 all we need know is that the particular mortars in question are made in ,milan4 ,many excellent men of this craft came from ,milan and its adjacent territory1 and ,i knew one of the best of them4 ,his nick-name was ,master ,caradosso1#bf and he never wanted to be called by any other1 and this nick-name was given him once by a ,spaniard who was in a great rage because he was kept waiting by the ,master for a piece of work which he had promised to get finished by a particular day4 ,when the ,spaniard saw that he could not have it in time1 he got so fearfully angry that he looked as if he would like to do him an injury1 at which ,caradosso to appease his wrath1 began excusing himself as best he could1 and in such a plaintive tone of voice1 and such an uncouth ,milanese lingo1 that the irate nobleman burst out laughing1 and looking him straight in the face1 cried out in his high mighty manner3 #8,hai cara d'osso1' that is to say1 #8,you bum face4' ,the sound of this appellation pleased ,caradosso so much that he never would answer to any other4 ,when later on one fine day he found out what it really meant1 he would gladly have got rid of it1 but he couldn't1 it was too late4 ,i knew him as an old man of #hj in ,rome1 where he was never called by any other name than ,caradosso4 ,he was a splendid goldsmith1 especially at enamelling1 and ,i shall have more to say of him later on4 ,now let us proceed with the beautiful art of enamelling4 ,as ,i said above the best way of pounding the enamels is in a little steel mortar with water4 ,i found out from personal experience that the best plan as soon as the enamels are ground is to pour off the water in which you grind them and put the powder in a little glass1 pouring upon it just so much aqua fortis as may suffice to cover it2 so let it stand for about one-eighth of an hour4 ,this done1 take out your enamel and wash it well in a glass bottle with very clear1 clean water until no residue of impurity be left4 ,you must know that the object of the aqua fortis is to clean it of any fatty1 just as fresh water is to clean it of any earthy impurities4 ,when your enamels are all well washed in this way1 you should put each in its little jar of glass ware or majolica1 but take great care that your water is so contained that it does not dry up1 because if you put fresh water to them your enamels will spoil at once4 ,now pay great attention to what ,i'm next going to tell you4 ,if you want your enamels to come out properly you must take a nice clean piece of paper1 and chew well between your teeth1 that's to say if you've got any1--,i couldn't do it because ,i've none left1--so should have to soften it and beat it up with a little hammer of iron or wood1 whichever might be best2 this done you must wash out your paper putty1 and squeeze it till there is no water left in it1 because you will have to use it as a sponge and apply it from time to time upon your enamels4 ,the more your colours dry up during the process the better they will look afterwards4 ,then1 too1 ,i mustn't forget to tell you another important thing which will also affect the good or bad enamelling of your work1 and this necessitates your trying a piece of experimental work first4 ,to this end you take a plate of gold or silver1 whichever material you elect to cut your intaglio upon1 and on this experimental piece1--let us suppose it is gold1--put all the different colours with which you intend to work1 having made as many little hollows with your graver as there are enamels4 ,thus you take a little bit of each1 and the only object of this is to make the necessary preliminary trial1 for by this trial you find out which run easy and which run hard1 because it is very necessary that they should all run alike2 for if some run too slowly and others too fast they would spoil each other1 and you would make a mess of your work4 ,all those preliminaries done1 you may set to work at your enamelling2 lay the nice clean colours over your engraved bas-relief just as if you were painting1 always keeping your colours well covered up1 and take no more out of one bottle than you can conveniently use at a time4 ,it is usual1 too1 to fashion an instrument called a #8palettiere' 7palette holder71 this is made out of thin copper plate1 in imitation of fingers1 it should not be bigger than your fingers1 and there should be five or six of them4 ,then you take a lump of lead in the shape of a pear1 with an iron stem to it1 which would correspond to the stalk of the pear1 and then you put all your bits of copper which you have hollowed out somewhat1 one over the other on your pear stem4 ,and this little finger-shaped palette you stand beside your work1 and you put your enamels upon it1 one by one1 using due care4 ,how careful you have to be with this cannot be told in words alone--you'll have to learn that by experience6 ,as ,i said above1 enamelling is similar to painting2 though the mediums in the two sorts of painting in colours are oil water1 while that of painting in enamels is by dissolving them with heat4 ,to begin with then1 take your enamels with a little copper palette knife1 spread them out little by little very carefully over your bas-relief1 putting on any colour you like1 be it flesh colour1 red1 peacock blue1 tawny1 azure1 grey or capucin colour1 for that is what one of the colours is called4 ,i don't mention yellow1 white turquoise blue1 because those colours are not suitable to gold4 ,but one colour ,i forgot1 and that was #8,aqua ,marina1' a most beautiful colour1 which may be used for gold as well as for silver4 ,then when you have all your enamels of all colours placed in the best of orders1 you have to be careful in the first coat1 as it is called1 to apply them very thin and neatly1 and just as if you were painting in miniature you put each in its place1 exactly where it is to be4 ,this done1 have your furnace in order1 well heated with charcoal4 ,later on ,i will tell you further of furnaces and point out which are the best of the many different ones in use2 but now let us assume that you have in it a fire sufficient for the purpose of the work you have before you4 ,then having your furnace as ,i say1 in its place1 you must put your gold work on an iron plate a trifle larger than the work itself1 so that it can be handled with the tongs4 ,and you must so ply it with the tongs and hold it to the mouth of the furnace1 that it gets warm gradually1 then1 little by little1 put it into the middle of the furnace1 but you must take the greatest possible care that as soon as the enamel begins to move1 you do not let it run1 but draw it away from the fire quickly1 so1 however1 that you do not subject it to any sudden cooling4 ,then1 when it is quite cool1 apply1 just as carefully as before1 the second coat of enamel1 put it in the furnace in the same way1 this time to a rather stronger fire1 and draw it forth in the same manner as before4 ,after this if you see your work need further touching up with enamel in any of its corners1 as is often necessary1 judgment and care will show you how to do it4 ,for this ,i advise you to make a stronger and clearer fire1 adding fresh charcoal1 and so put your work in again1 subjecting it to as strong a heat as enamel and gold can stand4 ,then rapidly take it out1 and let your 'prentice be ready1 bellows in hand1 to blow upon it as quickly as possible and so cool it4 ,this you have to do for the sake of the red enamel1 the #8smalto roggio' of which we spoke above1 because in the last firing it is wont to fuse with the others1 and so to make new colour effects1 the red1 for instance1 going so yellow that you can scarce distinguish it from gold4 ,this fusing is technically called #8aprire4' ,when it has once more cooled you put it in again1 but this time with a much weaker fire1 until you see it little by little reddening1 but take great heed that when it has got the good colour you want1 you draw it rapidly from the fire cool it with the bellows1 because too much firing will give it so strong a colour as to make it almost black4 ,when you have duly carried out all these processes to your satisfaction1 take some of your #8frassinelle'--these were the bits of stones or sand that ,i described before when ,i told you about ,king ,francis' filigree bowl--and with them smooth your work over until you get the proper effect4 ,then finish by polishing it with tripoli as ,i showed you above1 also in the filigree bowl4 ,this method of finishing1 which is by far the best and safest1 is called hand-polishing1 in contradistinction to a second method by which1 after you have your work smoothed with the #8frasinella' and then well washed with fresh water so as to remove from it all dirt1 you put it again on to the iron plate and into a clear fire and thus slowly heat it4 ,in this method1 by which you get the effect of polish much quicker than with the other1 you leave the work in the fire till it is hot1 and the enamels begin to run2 but its disadvantage is that1 as the enamels always shrink a bit1 and shrink unequally in the firing1 you cannot get so even a surface as by the hand-polishing4 ,you have to take the same precautions1 too1 as you took when firing your #8roggio clero1' or red enamel4 ,in the event of your not employing the latter--as would be the case on silver--you must take great care to observe the same precautions in putting your work in1 but do just the opposite in taking it out of the fire1 that is to say draw it very gradually from the furnace1 so that it cools very slowly instead of very rapidly as was the case with the red enamel4 ,of course you may have to enamel a lot of pieces1 such for instance as little pendants1 and bits of jewellery1 and other such things1 where you are not able to use the #8frasinella' at all4 ,things of this kind1 fruit1 leaves1 little animals1 tiny masks and such like1 are applied in the same way with well-ground and washed enamels1 but cannot be similarly polished because of their relief4 ,and if by reason of the great time and labour and patience you spend upon the doing of all this your enamels begin to dry up1 and thus fall off in turning your work1 this you may remedy in this wise3 take a few quince seeds1 which you get by cutting the fruit through the middle1 choose such as are not empty1 and let them soak in a vase with a little water2 this you should do over night if you want to enamel the next morning1 and you should be careful to do it very clean4 ,then when you want to apply your enamels1 having put a morsel of each colour on your palette 7the finger palette ,i described to you above fixed on to the stem of your leaden pear7 you mix with every bit of enamel you lay on your work1 a tiny drop of this quince-seed-water1 the effect of which is to produce a kind of gum which holds the enamels together so that they don't fall1 no other gum has a like effect4 ,for the rest1 all you have to do is to carefully carry out the methods ,i have so far explained to you1 and whether your enamel be on gold or silver1 except in so far as ,i have told1 those methods are the same4 ,,footnotes3 #bd ,probably powdered resin2 in ,hendrie's #8,theophilus' it is given as common white pine resin from which the oil has been evaporated over hot water4 #be ,bollirlo in una cenerata4 #bf ,his real name was ,ambrogio ,foppa4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,jewellery4 ,now let us discuss jewellery1 and of what pertains to precious stones4 ,of such there are four only1 and those four are made by the four elements1 the ruby is made by fire1 the sapphire most obviously by the air1 the emerald by the earth1 and the diamond by water4 ,in its due place ,i shall have something to say of the virtue of each4 ,but what we have before us here is to talk about what pertains to the setting1 in pendants1 bracelets1 rings1 tiaras and crowns4 ,we will leave diamonds till the last1 because they are the most difficult of all stones to treat1 and the reason of this is that while of other stones set in gold each one has its foil1 of which more anon1 the diamond of certain varieties has a tint which has to be specially prepared at the back of the stone1 according to the peculiarities of each2 and in their place will ,i tell you the loveliest things about them4 ,we will begin with rubies1 of which there are various sorts4 ,the first is the oriental ruby1 which is found in our side of the ,levant and near home2 this part of the ,levant1 indeed1 produces rarer and more beautiful jewels than any other lands4 ,these ,levant rubies have a mature colour1 they are deep and very fiery4 ,the rubies of the ,west on the other hand1 though still red1 lean towards peacock colour and are somewhat sharp and crude4 ,northern rubies are sharper and cruder still1 while those of the ,south are quite different from the others1 but so rare that they are very seldom to be met with1 so ,i will mention one of their peculiarities only1 they have not the same grand colour as the ,levant ruby1 but verge somewhat upon that of the ballas1#bg and though this has not the beautiful suffused colour it is none the less fiery1 and so grand is it that they seem perpetually to scintillate by day1 and by night throw out a gleam akin to that of a glow-worm1 or other little creatures that shine in the dark4 ,true it is that these southern rubies do not always possess this wonderful quality1 but so delightful are they to the eye1 that your good jeweller easily tells them from the others1 the name carbuncle is1 however1 only applied to the very rare ones1 and those that shine in the dark4 ,as soon as we have considered1 from personal experience1 and from the experience of others1 what are the best ways of setting jewels1 we will talk of the qualities of the stones themselves4 ,but ,i have a thing or two to say in order not to scandalize a certain class of men who call themselves jewellers1 but may be better likened to hucksters or linen-drapers1 pawn-brokers1 and grocers2 ,i have seen more than enough of wondrous samples in plenty of them in ,rome1 and there you may still see them to this day1 with a maximum of credit and a minimum of brains4 ,so what ,i say is out of respect to these dunderheads lest they should be shocked at my affirming that the real stones are of four sorts only1 and thus wag their arrogant tongues at me cry1 #8,how about the chrysoprase or the jacynth1 how about the spinell1 how about the aqua marine2 nay1 more1 how about the garnet1 the vermeil1 the chrysolite1 the plasma1 the amethyst1 ain't these all stones and all different8' ,yes1 and why the ,devil won't you add pearls1 too1 among the jewels1 ain't they fish bones8 ,i really don't think it worth while to try and cope with veritable empty-headed ignoramuses1 but ,i will say that there are many1 very many1 like them1 and that your great princes are mainly to blame for encouraging them1 since they quite put themselves in the hands of such men1 and so not only do injury to themselves1 but undervalue men that walk in the right way and do excellent work4 ,but let us pass from this little digression consider what is most beautiful and most rare in jewellery2 a digression merely entered into because ,i don't want ignorant men to jeer at me for having said nothing of the ballas and the topaz4 ,the ballas is a ruby with but little colour1 as if it were a kind of feminine form of the stone1 called in the ,west the ballas ruby1 but it is of the same hardness1 and so a gem of the nature of the ruby1 and differing from it only as to cost4 ,the like holds good with the topaz1 in its relationship to the sapphire1 it is of the same hardness as the sapphire1 and though of a different colour must be classified with the sapphire1 just as the ballas must be with the ruby--what better classification do you want8 hasn't the air got its sun8 ,illustration3 ,a page of reputed ,cellini ,jewellery ,of these four sorts of stones1 the ruby1 the sapphire1 the emerald1 and the diamond1 you must know that the first is far the most costly4 ,a ruby1 for instance1 of five grains of wheat1 of as fine a fire as you could wish1 would be worth about #hjj golden scudi1 and an emerald of the same size and beauty would run to about #djj1 similarly a diamond would be worth #ajj1 no more1 while a sapphire would fetch about #aj4 ,these few facts ,i thought might be worth having to all those many youths always springing up and eager to learn the beautiful art of the goldsmith4 ,to be sure1 they ought to begin learning as soon as they can toddle1 use that greatest of all opportunities which is afforded by apprenticeship to some ,master of renown1 whether in ,rome1 in ,venice1 or in ,paris4 ,in all of them did ,i sojourn for a long while1 and in all of them did ,i see and handle many and invaluable pieces of jewellery4 ,,footnotes3 #bg ,balaschio4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,how ,,to ,,set ,a ,,ruby4 ,we will now continue our talk consider the way of setting a ruby1 and the box of gold in which it has to be fitted4 ,this box1 whether in a pendant1 a ring1 or what not1 is always called the bezel4 ,what you have first of all to observe in the setting of the stone in this bezel1 is that the former must not be set too deep1 so as to deprive it of its full value1 nor too high1 so as to isolate it from its surrounding detail4 ,i mention this because ,i have seen mistakes made in both ways1 and ,i am certain that practising jewellers who have a right knowledge of drawing and design would not go wrong in either the one direction or the other4 ,so let us place our fine ruby into its bezel4 ,in order to what is technically called #8set'#bh it1 we must provide ourselves with four or five ruby foils#bi of which some should be of so deep a glow that they seem quite dark1 and others differing in intensity till they have scarce any red in them at all4 ,with all these different specimens of foils before us1 we take hold of the ruby with a piece of hard black wax well pointed1 pressing the wax upon one of the projections of the stone4 ,then your good jeweller tries his ruby now upon this foil1 now upon that1 till his own good taste determines him which foil will give most value to his stone4 ,sometimes the jeweller will find it may help him to move the stone to and from the foil1 but he has to recollect that the air between the foil the stone will always give an effect different to that afterwards given when the stone is set in the bezel where no air passes behind4 ,therefore your capable man places the cut foil in the setting1 at one time bringing it close1 at another interposing a space4 ,thereupon let him set his jewel with all the care1 taste delicacy of which an able man is master4 ,,footnotes3 #bh ,legare4 #bi ,literally leaves that are of themselves red4 ,illustration3 ,another page of reputed ,cellini ,jewellery ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,how ,,to ,,set ,,an ,,emerald ,,and ,a ,,sapphire4 ,now1 as to the emerald and the sapphire1 the same skill must be used with the foils adaptable to them as with those of the ruby4 ,and because ,i consider that practice always has come before theory in every craft1 and that the rules of theory1 in which your skillful craftsman is accomplished1 are always grafted on to practice afterwards1 ,i will give you a case in point of what once happened to me when ,i was setting a ruby of about #cjjj scudi in value4 ,this ruby had1 when it came into my hands1 been very well set at different times by some of the best known jewellers of the day4 ,so ,i was incited to work at it with all possible care4 ,seeing that ,i could in no way satisfy myself with the result of my efforts1 ,i locked myself up somewhere where no one could see me2 not so much because ,i did not wish my secret to go further1 but because ,i did not want to be caught trying so mean an experiment upon so goodly and wonderful a gem4 ,i took a little skein of silk stained with ,kermes1 and with a pair of scissors cut it carefully1 having previously spread a little wax in the bezel4 ,then ,i took the tiny bit of silk and pressed#cj it firmly on to the wax with the point of a small punch4 ,then did ,i put my ruby upon it1 and so well did it make1 and such virtue did it gain1 that all the jeweller folk who had seen it first1 suspected me of having tinted it1 a thing forbidden in jewellery except in the case of diamonds1 of which more anon4 ,but for this ruby1 some of the jewellers asked me to say what kind of a foil ,i had put behind it1 upon which ,i answered that ,i had put no foil behind it4 ,at this reply of mine1 a jeweller who was with the gentleman to whom the ruby belonged1 said1 #8,if the ruby has no foil1 you can't have done anything else but tint it in some way or other1 and that you know is forbidden4' ,to which ,i replied again that ,i had neither given it a foil1 nor done anything forbidden to it4 ,at this the jeweller got a little nasty and used strong language1 at which the gentleman who owned the ruby said1 #8,benvenuto1 ,i pray you1 be so good1 provided ,i pay you for it1 to open your setting and show it to me only1 ,i promise you ,i'll not tell anyone your secret4' ,then said ,i to him that ,i had worked several days on the job1 and that ,i had my living to earn1 but that ,i would willingly do it if he paid me the price of the setting1 and1 moreover1 do it in the presence of all of them1 because ,i should be much honoured in thus being able to teach my teachers4 ,when ,i had said this1 ,i opened the bezel and took out the stone in their presence4 ,they were very much obliged1 we parted very good friends1 and ,i got very well paid4 ,the ruby in question was a thick one1 so limpid and luminous that all the foils you put beneath it gave it a sort of uncertain flash1 like that which shimmers from the girasol opal1 or the cat's-eye1 two kinds of stones to which the dunderheads1 of whom ,i told before1 would also give the name of gems4 ,now a word about the emerald and the sapphire1 in both which gems one meets with the same peculiarities and difficulties as with the ruby1 so ,i know of but little to say about them than that they are stones that are often falsified1 which should be a warning to those who delight in gems or buy them1 whether to set or to keep4 ,there is a kind of ,indian ruby with as little colour as you can possibly imagine1 and ,i once saw a ruby of this nature falsified ever so cleverly by one of these cheats4 ,he had done it by smearing its base with dragon's blood1 which is a kind of composition made of a gum that will melt in the fire1 and that you can buy at any apothecary's in ,florence or ,rome4 ,well1 the cheat had smeared the base of the stone with dragon's blood1 then set it in such a way that it showed so well1 you would gladly have given #ajj golden scudi for it2 but without this colour it wouldn't have fetched #aj1 and have been much more likely to come out of the setting4 ,but the colour looked so fine1 and the stone seemed so cunningly set1 that no one unless very careful1 would have spotted it4 ,it happened one day that ,i was with three old jewellers to whom ,i had expressed my doubts as to the genuineness of the stone1 so they made me unset the ruby and they stood round me greedily watching1 ready to pounce upon it4 ,as soon as ,i had done it they all three jeered at me for my wisdom and said another time ,i should open my eyes better1 for it was obvious that this stone was set by a good man1 who wouldn't do such a thing1 and who knew his business right well enough4 ,at these words of theirs ,i held out my hand1 and begged them to let me see and have proof of my mistake1 adding that if this time my good eyes had failed me1 it might be because ,i was less keen-sighted than they1 but ,i promised it shouldn't happen again4 ,when ,i had the ruby in my hand ,i soon saw with my sharp eyes what their dullness had missed1 and quickly taking a little steel tool ,i scraped off the bottom of the stone4 ,then might that ruby have been likened to the crow that tricked itself out in the feathers of the peacock4 ,i returned the stone to the jewellers and suggested to them that they would do well to provide themselves with eyes somewhat superior to those they were at present using4 ,i couldn't resist saying this because all three of them wore great big gig-lamps on their noses1 whereupon they all three gaped at each other1 shrugged their shoulders1 and1 with ,god's blessing1 made off4 ,you come across similar difficulties and occurrences with emeralds and sapphires which ,i will omit1 as ,i have other things of more importance to tell of4 ,i mind me also of having seen rubies and emeralds made double1 like red green crystals1 stuck together1 the stone being in two pieces1 and their usual name is #8doppie' or doublets4 ,these false stones are made in ,milan1 set in silver1 and are much in vogue among the peasant folk2 the ingenuity of man has devised them to satisfy the wants of these poor people when they wish to make presents at weddings1 ceremonies1 and so forth1 to their wives1 who of course don't know any difference between the real and the sham stone1 whom the little deceit makes very happy4 ,certain avaricious men however1 have taken advantage of a form of industry1 made partly for a useful1 and partly for a good end1 have very cunningly turned it to great evil4 ,for instance1 they have taken a thin piece of ,indian ruby1 and with very cunning setting have twisted and pieced together beneath it bits of glass which they then fixed in this manner in an elaborate beautiful setting for the ring or whatever it was4 ,and these they have subsequently sold for a good and first-class stone4 ,and forasmuch as ,i don't tell you anything unless ,i can illustrate it by some practical example1 ,i'll just mention that there was in my time a ,milanese jeweller who had so cleverly counterfeited an emerald in this way that he sold it for a genuine stone and got #ijjj golden scudi for it4 ,and this all happened because the purchaser--who was no less a person than the ,king of ,england--put rather more faith in the jeweller than he ought to have done4 ,the fraud was not found out till several years after4 ,emeralds and sapphires are also manufactured out of single stones1 and this so cleverly that they are often difficult to tell1 but however wonderfully they are counterfeited in colour they are so soft1 that any good jeweller with the average amount of brains1 can easily spot them4 ,i could tell you ever so much more about all this1 but it must do for the present1 because ,i have to pass on to a lot of other important and useful things4 ,,footnotes3 #cj ,calcai--possibly3 #8,i frayed4' ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,foils ,,for ,,all ,,sorts ,,of ,,transparent ,,jewels4 ,in order to make good foils for jewels it is essential to have steel tools1 and all of the best and of the most finished description4 ,then1 as you may suppose1 for an undertaking of such importance you need the greatest possible care and patience1 together with the greatest possible neatness4 ,long ago1 when ,i was a lad of fifteen and began to learn goldsmithery1 ,i knew a master in the art whose name was ,salvestro del ,lavacchio4 ,this man only did stone-setting1 specialised on the making of his own foils for all sorts of gems4 ,though the foils from ,france and ,venice and other places often showed up more splendidly1 experience proved that they were not as lasting as ,lavacchio's1 which were always thicker4 ,for this reason the setting of the gems upon them was often more difficult than on the foreign foils1 but so strong were they1 and so telling to the gems1 that as soon as they became a bit known1 he got orders from all over the world and soon had no time for anything else but foil-making4 ,indeed it requires all a man's energies to do this1 so ,i thought ,i would give a few facts about it for the benefit of anyone anxious to learn4 ,the first foil is called the common foil1 it is of a yellow colour and is used for many jewels and transparent stones4 ,but first a word as to the weight of a carat1 which is a weight of four grains4 ,the foils may be stated in weights thus3-- ,,common 7,,yellow7 ,,foil4 #i carats of fine gold4 #ah 0 0 silver4 #gb 0 0 copper4 ,,red ,,foil4 #bj carats of fine gold4 #af 0 0 silver4 #ah 0 0 copper4 ,,blue ,,foil4 #af carats of fine copper4 #d 0 0 gold4 #b 0 0 silver4 ,,green ,,foil4 #aj carats of fine copper4 #f 0 0 silver4 #a 0 0 gold4 ,melt the copper well first and then put in the two other metals2 when they are well mixed cast them into a fairly long ingot mould1 and don't make it too thick4#ca ,when it is cast let it cool1 then file it well1 after which beat it very lightly and with the broad end of a hammer1 often heating it again as you go on1 but not putting it in water1 nor cooling it with the bellows4 ,and when you have beaten it down to about the thickness of two knife backs2 flatten it with a strong rounded scraper1 and pare off the edges quite smoothly till no crack remain4 ,then1 when you are spreading it out1 see that both it and your hammer be even1 smooth1 and burnished1 and with every possible care make it as thin as you can1 as1 according to its nature1 the metal will rend2 the size of it should be about a couple of fingers1 or a little longer1 and the square should be of such dimensions as your metal will afford4 ,also mind that the size is such as you propose to make when your work is completed4 ,but as1 in beating1 it will rend and crack1 see that you watch this1 and cut it accordingly1 and to the utmost thinness possible4 ,and all these pieces you must blanch1 clean1 and polish with tartar1#cb salt1 and water1 which is the blanching liquor ordinarily used for silver4 ,then wash in clear water1 rub with a clean rag lightly1 and then scrub it on a big copper tube that must be very clean and shining4 ,see that you scrape it with the sharpest of all possible goldsmiths' scrapers1 and do this with the greatest care in order that you do not mark it with notches4 ,then take it with a very clean and white cloth1 and have by you a graver that shall be well sharpened on an oil stone1 and clean off everything in the nature of grease or dirt4 ,it is needful1 when burnishing it1 to be in a room where there is no dirt4 ,get a black hmatite stone#cc such as the sword cutlers use for burnishing gold4 ,when you have polished it very well give it its colour4 ,this you do over a moderate and clean fire1 keeping your piece of foil near the said fire1 and take care that of the two sides1 the unburnished one turns to the fire4 ,gradually you will see the colour come according as it takes the heat4 ,it is necessary to vary the colour as need requires4 ,pope ,clement gave me the commission to make the button for his cope4#cd ,this morse ,i made about the size of an ordinary plate2 but because of all its wealth of figure work ,i had better talk of that later when ,i treat of embossing and the many difficulties of that art4 ,for the present ,i will consider only the jewels with which it was enriched4 ,in the middle of the morse ,i set a diamond the facets of which were cut starwise to a point1 for which ,pope ,julius ,,ii4 had given #cf1jjj ducats of the ,camera4 ,i set the stone quite free 7 jour7 between four claws1 in this manner did it seem to me to make better4 ,i had given this setting a good deal of thought1 but the stone was of such exceptional beauty that it caused me much less trouble than costly stones of similar character are wont to do4 ,true1 some jewellers were of a mind that it would be better to tint the whole base of the stone and the back facets1#ce but with my good results ,i got them to see that it was much better thus4 ,together with the diamond1 and around it1 were two large ballas rubies and two big sapphires1 splendid stones1 and four emeralds of a goodly size4 ,to all these stones did ,i apply those same careful methods of which ,i have spoken above1 thereby satisfying not only the ,pope1 but also the practising artists4 ,for1 previously1 at the beginning of the work1 and before ,i set to at the diamonds and the other stones--for they were right difficult to handle--certain old fossils in the art had1 part in envy1 part speaking true1 sought to scare#cf me away from the job4 #8,verily1' said they1 #8we know you to be sure enough in all that pertains to design to the embossing of an excellent piece of work1 but when you set to the tinting and arranging of such costly jewels1 why1 'twill make the teeth chatter in your head with fright4' ,now ,i'm not the sort of fellow who's afeard of any mortal thing1 but ,i must say that this somewhat emphatic way of expressing their astonishment made me pause a bit4 ,but ,i minded me of those gifts from ,god ,himself1 which come to a man without any toil of his own2 comeliness for instance1 or strength1 or handiness1 and to me methought ,god had given surety of purpose4 ,so much was this so1 that ,i could afford to turn laughing away from all their silly prattle4 ,the tale of ,phbus came to my mind1 and how at the outset he had sought to fright his son ,phton from wishing to guide the chariot of the sun2 but then1 you see1 when all was done1 ,i was luckier than ,phton1 for ,i did not break my neck1 but came out of it with much honour and profit to myself4 ,,footnotes3 #ca ,lo gitta in uno canale un poco largo1 e non fare la verga molto grosso4 #cb ,gomma4 #cc ,amatita nera4 #cd ,this great piece1 perhaps ,cellini's masterpiece1 was melted down in the present century4 #ce ,pdiglione3 or in ,english1 pavilions4 #cf ,spaventavano4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,on ,,the ,,cutting ,,of ,,the ,,diamond4 ,as we have now said enough of the three gems1 ruby1 emerald1 and sapphire1 we must perforce consider at greater length the diamond4 ,now1 though the diamond is said to be kin to water1 let no man suppose that this need imply an absence of colour1 perfume1 and taste such as would be the case in good water4 ,just as water may have both colour1 perfume1 and taste1 even so the diamond2 not that the diamond actually has perfume or taste1 but it has colours as many as nature herself4 ,i propose here only to mention two1 and these diamonds about as splendid as it is possible to imagine4 ,the first was a stone ,i came across in the reign of ,pope ,clement1 a diamond literally flesh-coloured1 most tender1 most limpid1 it scintillated like a star1 and so delightful was it to behold that all other diamonds beside it1 however pure colourless1 seemed no longer to give any pleasure and to lose their gratefulness4 ,the second was a stone ,i saw in ,mantua1 it was green1 green such as you might see in a very pale emerald1 but it shone just like any diamond1 and as no emerald ever shone2 indeed it seemed the most glorious of all emeralds4 ,though ,i have seen all imaginable colours in diamonds1 the mention of these two may suffice4 ,now for just a word about the cutting of the diamond1 that is to say on the changing of the stone from its roughness into those lovely shapes so familiar to us1 the ,table1 the ,facetted1 the ,point4#cg ,diamonds you can never cut alone1 you must always do two at a time on account of their exceeding hardness1 no other stone can cut them2 it is a case of diamond cut diamond4 ,this you do by means of rubbing one against the other until a form is obtained such as your skilful cutter may wish to produce1 and with the diamond powder that falls from them in the process1 the final polish is subsequently given4 ,for this purpose the stones are set in little cups of pewter#ch and held against a wheel by means of certain little pinchers prepared on purpose1 and they are thus held with their dust mixed with oil4 ,the steel wheel upon which the diamonds are cut and finished should be about the thickness of a finger1 the size of an open hand and of the finest steel excellently tempered4 ,this wheel is fastened to a hand mill and turned round as fast as it is possible to turn it4 ,four to five diamonds1 or even six1 can be applied to the wheel at the same time1 and by bringing to bear a sufficiently heavy weight you can increase the pressure of the diamonds upon the wheel and give greater grip to the dust which wears them away1 and so they are finished4 ,i could tell you a deal more1 and all about the ways of cutting1 but because it is not in my own craft1 ,i will not bore you with it2 'tis sufficient for me to have given a general sketch of the method in question4 ,to return however to the subject we have in hand1 ,i will say something of the tinting of the diamond1 of its setting in gold1 and of the variation between one stone another on account of the above-mentioned colours4 ,however great the variety of these colours is1 the wondrous hardness of the stone is similar in all cases1 or at least the variation is so slight that the process of cutting is the same4 ,with the greatest possible care will ,i show how ,i set about making tints for diamonds1 and give likewise a number of instances1 on various exceptional occasions1 that ,i have come across in diamonds of great importance3 it is only owing to experiences such as ,i have passed through that one is able satisfactorily to show the great difficulties that stand in the way of those who wish to make them fine settings4 ,i will begin with one occasion when ,pope ,paul ,,iii4 of the house of ,farnese was given a diamond by the ,emperor ,charles ,v41--'twas when he returned from the capture of ,tunis paid a visit to the ,pope in ,rome4 ,the diamond in question was purchased in ,venice by certain servants of the ,emperor's for #ab1jjj scudi1 and it was set merely in a plain and simple bezel with a little claw4#ci ,in this fashion it was given by the ,emperor to the ,pope1 as soon as he visited him1 ,i heard tell that he gave it as a sign of his goodwill and friendliness1 the latter receiving it courteously with the same spirit4 ,now forasmuch as the ,pope1 for a month previously1 had ordered a present to be prepared for the ,emperor1 worthy to pass between them1 he had held much counsel on the matter with many1 and so called for me1 and asked me in the presence of his ,council1 but quite privately1 to give him my opinion on the matter4 ,i straightway said that1 inasmuch as the ,pope was the veritable head of the ,christian religion1 and the veritable vicar of ,christ1 the most fitting gift from the ,pope to the ,emperor seemed to me to be a fine ,christ of gold set upon a ground of lapis lazuli1 an azure stone from which they make ultramarine2 the foot of this crucifix ,i said should be of gold set with jewels1 and of such value as should please his ,holiness4 ,and because ,i had1 with great care1 already executed three gold figures that might serve for the base of this cross1 because they symbolised ,faith1 ,hope1 and ,charity1 and were already completed1 the suggestion pleased the ,pope mightily1 and he bade me set to make a model of what ,i proposed1 for him to see4 ,illustration3 ,the ,south ,kensington ,breviary and another ,cellini attribution ,at this model ,i wrought for a day and a half1 and then brought it to him completed4 ,pleased as he had been at my suggestion1 he was simply delighted when he saw the model1 and determined to give me the job2 we clinched the bargain in no time1 ,i was paid the earnest money and bidden to bestir myself4 ,i strained every nerve to bring this beautiful work to being1 but so it was1 ,i was hindered from finishing by certain beasts who had the vantage of the ,pope's ear4 ',tis a thing that often happens1 this1 with all princes2 the worst men in the whole court are often the best listened to1 and these fellows believe for them what they don't even believe themselves4 ,one of these men whispered such evil things into the ,pope's ear1 that he got him to believe that it would be better to make a present to the ,emperor of a breviary of the ,virgin in miniature that had been made for the ,cardinal ,hippolitus de ,medici as a gift to the ,lady ,julia ,gonzaga1 that this little book should be bound in a cover of fine gold set with what variety of stones might please his ,holiness1 and that the ,emperor would like this much better1 because he could make a present of it to his wife the ,empress4 ,and so it came that the ,pope got so gammoned1 that he was dissuaded from the crucifix1 and bade me make the little book1 which ,i accordingly did4#dj ,when the ,emperor arrived in ,rome1 ,i had not yet put the finishing touches on the book because it took some time before they made up their minds about it2 none the less the cover was visible1 as it had all been put together1 and it looked splendid with all its gorgeous jewels set upon it4 ,then the ,pope sent to let me know that ,i must have it in order as well as ,i possibly could within three or four days1 as he wanted to show it1 incomplete as it was1 to the ,emperor1 and that he would excuse me to the latter for not having completed it1 on the plea of illness4 ,as for that ,i will speak of it in its place4 ,after this the ,pope with his own hands gave me the diamond he had received from the ,emperor1 told me to take the measure of his forefinger and make him a ring as richly wrought as possible and as quickly as ever ,i could4 ,off ,i hurried to my workshop1 and with the greatest dispatch and in the space of two days produced as rich a ring as was ever made4 ,now ,pope ,paul had waiting in attendance on him a number of ,milanese who patronised a certain ,milanese jeweller1 ,gaio by name4 ,this ,gaio came before the ,pope1 and all off his own bat1 without ever having been as much as asked1 #8,holy ,father1' quoth he1 #8your ,holiness knows that by profession ,i am a jeweller1 that ,i am better skilled at my craft than any man ever born4 ,now your ,holiness has given ,benvenuto a diamond to set1 and the diamond is one of the most difficult stones in the whole world to set1 and this particular diamond is more difficult than any other diamond1 and it is a very beautiful stone1 and a very costly stone withal a very delicate stone1 ,benvenuto is a very young man1 and though he is enthusiastic enough about his art1 apt enough at his work1 the tinting of so precious a stone is rather too tough a bone for tender gums like his4 ,in my opinion your ,holiness would do well to commission two or three old and tried jewellers to go and look ,benvenuto up not let him tint the diamond without their advice4 ,it was a jeweller called ,miliano ,targhetta of ,venice1 your ,holiness1 who tinted and set the stone as your ,holiness has it at present4 ,this was an old man1 and never did any one better know how to fix foils and tint stones4' ,weary of this plaguey babbler1 the ,pope told him he might go and do what he liked thought best4 ,so off the fellow went to look for ,raphaello del ,moro the ,florentine1 and ,guasparri ,romanesco1 both of them men of great cunning in the matter of jewels2 with these two he came to my shop on behalf of the ,pope4 ,then did he begin to babble so tiresomely that ,i could scarce contain myself4 ,the other two talked sense were decently civil1 so ,i turned to them in my politest manner1 explained to them my views and begged them to let me have a couple of days to prepare a few tints to try this lovely stone1 for this could only do good4 ,in the first place by trying a few rare tints for the diamond1 ,i might be able not only to teach myself1 but lure on others who were following the art1 in the next place the stone might so gain at my cost1 that it might delight them1 do the ,pope a service1 and bring much credit to me4 ,all the time ,i was giving them my reasons1 that insolent beast of a ,gaio kept fidgeting about with his feet and his head and his hands1 ever and anon interjecting the most irritating words1 so that ,i very nearly lost my temper altogether4 ,but the others1 men of sense they1 managed it so that ,i got the time ,i asked for4 ,as soon as they were gone1 ,i set to like anything to make my tints1 and this is how ,i did it4 ,,footnotes3 #cg ,in tavola1 a facette1 e in punta4 #ch ,piombo e stagno4 #ci ,gambo4 #dj ,the illustration given is probably not of the breviary in question1 but it is a reasonable ,cellini attribution4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,how ,,you ,,tint ,a ,,diamond4 ,take a very clean lamp with its cotton wick as white as possible1 its oil1 too1 should be old1 sweet and clear1 then stand it on the ground1 or1 if you like1 between two bricks4 ,on the top of the two bricks put a concave copper disc1 its upper surface cleanly polished1 and its under surface acted upon by the flame to a third part of it1 but not more4 ,be careful that only a very little soot collects on the disc at a time1 because if too much soot comes1 it may catch fire and be no use to you4 ,then1 from time to time1 while the flame smokes1 take a little smooth paper and brush the smoke soot off the disc into a clean vessel4 ,you may know that the soot doesn't catch fire till it grows to a coat the thickness of two big knife backs1 so you needn't fear to let it smoke itself to a thickness of one knife back at a time4 ,then you take mastic1#da a sort of gum that every apothecary sells1 not1 however1 too fresh2 you may know the fresh gum by its being bright and pale2 on the other hand it mustn't be too old1 and the old gum you will know by its being yellow and dry1 and of little substance4 ,when you have chosen the right sort of mastic1 neither too fresh nor too dry1 you proceed to select from it the roundest and cleanest grains1 because1 you know1 when they fall from the tree they are apt to absorb earth and other impurities4 ,all this done1 as ,i have told1 you put a little pan of live charcoal on the bench1 and heat at it some small pointed steel instrument1 with which you proceed to spike one of the mastic grains1 not1 however1 spiking it right through the middle4 ,this you then hold nearer and nearer to the fire till it begins to get hot1 when you quickly1 with a little spittle on your fingers1 squeeze the hot mastic grain2 the result of this squeezing will be a tear-drop1 as limpid and pure as you can possibly imagine4 ,then quickly cut it off with a pair of scissors from the dirty part of the grain1 and save it in a clean place4 ,this process you repeat till you have as many mastic tears as you need4 ,then you set to and make your linseed oil1 this is how you do it4 ,you pick out the cleanest and best grains1 grains without insect holes and perfect1 and place a handful at a time on a porphyry stone1 or a very clean copper or iron plate4 ,on this you spread the grains1 and place over them an iron plate about one finger thick and five fingers square1 this plate having been previously heated so that it would singe paper1 but no hotter4 ,to the weight of it you add the pressure of some great hammer1 and then you will soon begin to see the oil oozing out of the grains1 but you must mind that your iron is neither too hot nor too cold1 for if it be too cold the oil won't ooze out1 and if too hot it will be scorched up and bad1 but if well-tempered the oil will be admirable4 ,then ever so carefully you lift up the plate and the grains1 and with a clean knife scrape off the oil4 ,you have also to note that what is first pressed from the grain is a little water1 this you will tell by its running to the edges of the stone1 while the genuine oil remains in the middle4 ,then you take the oil and put it into a clean glass vase4 ,next you have also to provide a little sweet almond oil2 and some folk use olive oil two years old1 not more1 and very sweet and clean4 ,then you want a spoon about four times the size of an ordinary spoon1 and have in readiness your pan of live charcoal4 ,you put your tear drops of mastic into the spoon1 and1 with a very clean silver or copper spoon1 you begin to melt them over the fire4 ,when your mastic is melting you add a little of the grain oil to it1 in proportion about one part of linseed to six of mastic1 and so mix the two liquids together1 then apply the third1 be it oil of olive or almond4 ,after they are fused you add a little purified turpentine1 and finally the lampblack you prepared to begin with1 putting just so much no more1 as you need for your tint4 ,divers sorts of diamonds require some a darker1 some a lighter tint2 some again need a softer1 some a harder tint1 and so it is necessary1 whenever you are setting a diamond of great importance1 to try it with the hard and the soft1 or with the dark and the light in accordance with the quality of the stone and the judgment of the good jeweller4 ,some have put as little lampblack as possible when tinting a diamond that seemed too yellow1 and have instead mixed with their tint indigo1 a blue colour known to every painter4 ,they have even let indigo entirely take the place of lampblack1 this did they do when they tinted a diamond that looked like clear topaz4 ,in these cases was a dark tint applied with admirable effect1 and for this reason1 by mixing the two colours1 blue and yellow1 they make green1 hence the yellow diamond with the blue tint made an admirable water2 and1 if it be well applied1 it becomes one colour1 neither yellow as heretofore nor blue owing to the virtue of the tint1 but a variation1 in truth1 most gracious to the eye4 ,inasmuch as all stones have1 then1 to be treated in accordance with the ability of the master and the quality of the stone1 the cunning with which you treat them will depend on the amount of your experience in the art applied to each particular stone1 and each several occasion4 ,now to return to that big diamond1 a notable example of its kind1 that ,i set for ,pope ,paul1 and which ,i had only to tint1 because the setting was already made4 ,as ,i told you1 ,i had asked ,rafaello1 ,guasparri and ,gaio to allow me some two days' space2 during this time ,i made a set of experiments in tints1 and by great labour produced a composition which made a much finer effect beneath the diamond than had been made by the master1 ,miliano ,targhetta4 ,and when ,i had made sure that ,i had beaten so admirable a man1 what did ,i do but set to work anew with still greater energy to see if ,i could not beat even myself4 ,as ,i told you above1 this particular diamond was a most peculiarly difficult one to manage because of its subtlety1#db and the good jeweller is he who produces his effect with the tint alone without having recourse to the reflector1#dc about which ,i shall have occasion to speak in its place4 ,when ,i had quite satisfied myself ,i sent to fetch the three old jewellers1 and when they arrived ,i had arranged all my tints in order for them4 ,when the three appeared that presumptuous ,gaio marched into the shop first1 and seeing all my apparatus neatly ranged about for the purpose of tinting the stone in their presence1 he straightaway began wagging his head1 pumping about with his hands1 and chattering4 #8,benvenuto1' said he1 #8all this is mere sillyness1 mere bagatelle1 you just turn up again that tint of ,master ,miliano's1 and apply it1 and don't lose any time about it1 because we haven't any to waste1 owing to all the important commissions we have to execute for the ,pope4' ,at this ,raphaello seeing that ,i was just about to fly into a most terrible passion1 interposed2 he was a good fellow was ,raphaello1 and also the oldest of them1 and he began to say soothing words to me1 encouraging things1 and such-like1 and so just calmed me in time4 ,the other man also1 ,master ,guasparri ,romanesco1 in order to put a damper on that beast of a ,gaio1 he too began saying things1 funny things which didn't come off1 because ,i wasn't in a mood for funny things4 ,after a bit1 perceiving that ,i was getting to be a source of quarrel between the three men1 ,i turned to them and spake thus3 #8,god ,almighty1' said ,i1 #8has1 with the gift of speech1 granted to mortals four different ways of expressing themselves1 and these are they3 the first is called to reason1 which means to explain the reason of things in a sensible way2 the second is called to talk1 which means to make words1 words of good import that is1 and which1 if they don't explain the reason of things1 may yet be in the way of doing so2 the third is called to chatter1 and that means to say things of little value1 funny things that sometimes please1 and that don't hurt you2 the fourth is just to grasshopper gabble1#dd and nothing more1 and that's what people do who hav'n't got any sense in their heads at all1 and want to show it off as much as they can4 ,so1 my good friends1 ,i will just reason with you1 and expound to you my reasons4 ,master ,raphaello1 of a sooth1 has talked elegant words1 sound words2 ,master ,guasparri1 to cheer us up1 has chattered a few amiable and funny things1 none of which have got anything to do with what we have in hand2 ,gaio1 what has he done8 why just drivelled in the most sickening way1 but since his grasshopper gabble hasn't done me any special injury ,i'm not going to lose my temper over him1 and shall just take no notice of him at all4 ,so now ,i pray you1 gentlemen1 just to let me tint the diamond in your presence1 if my tint does not turn out better than ,master ,miliano's1 ,i can still use his1 and ,i shall have shown you how at least ,i have tried my best to improve it4' ,scarce had ,i finished these words of mine when that beast of a ,gaio called out1 #8,so according to this ,i'm a driveller1 am ,i8' ,whereupon the good ,raphaello began soothing him down with amiable words till the beast got a bit pacified2 ,i meantime set to work with my tints upon the diamond4 ,raphaello and ,guasparri were all agog to see me tint the diamond1 and first ,i tinted it with my own tint1 the first one1 and this showed up so well that they were in doubt as to whether or not ,i had not surpassed that of ,miliano2 and they praised me abundantly4 ,then ,raphaello turned to ,gaio and said3 #8,you see1 ,gaio1 that ,benvenuto's tint1 even if it has not surpassed ,miliano's1 makes a close second2 and so 'tis always right to give encouragement to a young man like ,benvenuto who tries to do well4' ,i turned to him1 thanked ,raphaello for his pleasant words1 and said1 #8,now1 my good friends1 we'll take out my tint1 in your presence put in ,master ,miliano's1 and then shall we be better able to judge on which the diamond makes best4' ,i quickly took out mine put in ,miliano's4 ,raphaello and ,guasparri said that the stone showed better with mine1 and all three said that ,i should re-apply my tint as rapidly as ,i could before the impression was lost to their eyes4 ,whereupon ,i replaced mine quickly and handed it them4 ,all three were agreed1 and ,gaio before all--his ass's face quite beaming up--and they declared most amiably that ,i was a clever fellow1 that ,i had good reasons for my action1 that ,i had beaten ,master ,miliano's tint by a long way1 a thing they never imagined possible4 ,at this ,i made a bow1 not without a little pride1#de but so as not to be noticed1 and said to them3 #8,dear masters1 since you have vouchsafed me such kind encouragement to so good an end1 ,i am only too ready on my part to be judged by you1 and since you admit that ,i have beaten ,miliano1 will you now decide whether or not ,i have beaten myself1 only just give me a quarter of an hour's grace8' ,therewith ,i left them and went up to the attic of my house1 where ,i had all in order that ,i wanted to do4 ,what ,i did there ,i'll tell you now1 ,i've not told it anyone yet1 and it brought me much honour in this diamond1 but it does not necessarily succeed in others1 and cannot be done without much labour and experience4 ,i took a fair sized grain of mastic1 cleared it well of its skin as ,i told above1 so that it was as pure and bright as possible1 with all imaginable delicacy1 having well cleaned the diamond1 spread it over the stone with the aid of a moderate fire4 ,then ,i let it cool1 holding it tight with the tongs used for tinting4 ,when dry and cool ,i had my black tint ready1 spread the same carefully and before a gentle heat on the top of the clear coat of mastic4 ,this method suited so well to the tenderness and peculiar water of the diamond in question1 that it seemed to remove from it any internal imperfections make of it a stone of perfect quality4 ,then down ,i ran and put it into ,master ,raphaello's hand4 ,he uttered an expression of astonishment like you do when you see a miracle4 ,the two others1 ,guasparri and ,gaio1 likewise expressed amazement1 only more so1 and praised me up to the skies1 ,gaio even so far let himself down as to begging my pardon4 ,then they said to me1 all three of them together3 #8#ab1jjj scudi was the worth of this diamond before1 but1 of a truth1 it is worth #bj1jjj now4' ,we shook hands amicably and parted the best of friends4 ,,footnotes3 #da ,the varnish resin1 commonly called gum mastic4 #db ,sottile2 i4e41 the refinement of the water4 #dc ,specchietto4 #dd ,elsewhere1 in one of his minor treatises on the arts1 ,cellini defines this word #8,cicalare' as the chatter of birds1 a murmur of neither concord nor discord4 #de ,baldanza3 swelling1 brag4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,how ,,to ,,give ,a ,,diamond ,,its ,,reflector4 ,in order not to leave out any of the few things that ,i have mastered1 we will now discuss what is termed the reflector#df of the diamond4 ,this reflector is put beneath such diamonds as are so delicate as not to be able to stand a dark tint1 such as would turn them black4 ,if it happen that their delicacy is not great1 and their water is good1 it is customary to give them the tint under the step facets alone1 and to combine the reflector with this1 and the result is admirable4 ,the reflector is made in this wise4 ,you take a small piece of crystal glass1 quite clean1 and free from cracks or flaws4 ,you cut it into a square of a size that shall fit into the bezel in which you propose to set your diamond2 and you tint your bezel with the black tint of which we spoke above4 ,be careful to put the said reflector1 the glass of which is tinted on the lower side only1 in the bottom of the bezel1 low enough to admit of the diamond standing over but not touching it1 because if it does it will not reflect well4#dg ,this is how all the tenderest diamonds should be set1 and beautiful they look1 too4 ,beryls and white topazes and white sapphires1 white amethysts1 and citrine quartz1#dh are all set in the bezel with a reflector of this kind1 if they are of a sufficiently important size4 ,it must be borne in mind that no stones but diamonds will stand a tint at the back1 because they turn black1 and lose their splendour4 ,so much for the reflector4 ,it is an extraordinary thing that the diamond1 which is the most limpid and brilliant of all earthly stones1 gains a thousand-fold in beauty when you1 as it were1 soil it with a black tint1 while all other light stones1 as soon as you touch them with a tint1 lose their splendour1 and turn black2 forsooth this is owing to some occult power1 some secret of nature in the diamond1 which human imagination cannot penetrate4 ,there are certain sapphires1 which the ingenuity of man can turn white1 by putting them in a crucible in which gold is to be melted1#di and if not at the first heating1 then at the second or third4 ,indeed your cunning gem-setter will always pick the palest sapphires1 because1 though they have the least colour1 they are the hardest in substance4 ,the same holds good of topazes1 which are of similar hardness to sapphires1 so may be classified with them4 ,i propose here only to touch on these two stones in so far as they have kindred qualities to the diamond4 ,there are few1 then1 however great their experience1 when having before them the two stones could tell which of the two was the diamond1 often being unable to distinguish them at first sight4 ,the peculiar virtue of the diamond1 however1 admits of the trying of a simple experiment1 by which you can at once distinguish one stone from another1 and it is this4 ,you take your tint rub both stones with it2 your true diamond grows in brilliance beauty1 the other becomes deadened and splendourless4 ,and this test suffices without trying the test of hardness too1 but if you rubbed the two stones together you would soon find out the diamond4 ,though the sapphire is so much harder than the ruby the emerald1 it is a thousand times less so than the diamond4 ,by the way1 ,i need hardly mention that it would be absurd to test a polished gem by the above method4 ,that's as much as ,i want to say about the diamond4 ,,footnotes3 #df ,specchietto4 #dg ,this diagram may be taken to illustrate ,cellini's description3 ,illustration3 ,diagram illustrating the specchietto for the diamond ,d4 ,diamond4 ,a4 ,reflector4 ,b4 ,bezel tinted inside4 #dh ,citrini4 #di ,nel quale sia dell'oro che s'abbia a struggere4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,about ,,white ,,rubies ,,and ,,carbuncles4 ,i promised to tell you something about the finest sort of rubies1 but before doing this1 ,i want you to know something about another sort of ruby1 called the white ruby4 ,this stone is white by nature1 not by any heating process like the other stones mentioned above1 its whiteness may be likened to the chalcedony1 the twin sister of the cornelian4 ,the latter has a sort of unpleasing livid pallor1 for this reason is not used much4 ,i have oft found many such in the bellies of wild fowl1 so also the loveliest turquoises4 ,i used to be very fond of going out shooting4 ,i made my own powder1 and became such a rare fine shot1 that ,i should be ready to stand any test you like4 ,i always shot with the simple ball1 as for the powder1 well1 ,i'll talk of that in its right place1 but it was quite different from the powder commonly used4 ,in this wise did ,i use to march over the ,roman ,campagna1 at the time when the birds of passage return1 and in their bellies ,i found stones of all sorts1 turquoises1 white coloured rubies1 also emeralds1 every now and again a pearl4 ,but1 as ,i said1 these white rubies are of very little use2 only you know them for rubies because of their great hardness4 ,of carbuncles3 according to promise ,i'll tell you of these1 first of what ,i have seen with my own eyes4 ,in the time of ,pope ,clement ,,vii4 there turned up a certain ,raugeo1 who was called ,biagio di ,bono4 ,this man had a white carbuncle1 similar to the white ruby mentioned above1 but possessing so delightful a brilliance1 that it shone in the dark1 not so splendidly perhaps as the coloured carbuncles1 but still so that when you put it into a very dark place it seemed as a glowing ember1 and this did ,i see with my own eyes--but ,i must tell you in this connection an anecdote of a little old ,roman gentleman--old1 did ,i say8--nay1 very old1 for his grandson was one of my shop assistants4 ,this man came often to my place1 always had lots of pretty things to chat about4 ,one fine day we fell a-talking about gems1 and the old gentleman spake thus3 #8,once when ,i was a young man1 ,i happed to be in the ,piazza ,colonna1 and ,i saw one ,jacopo ,cola1 a distant kinsman of mine1 coming along2 he was beaming all over1 and he held out his closed fist to some friends who had been sitting on a bench hard by1 and were just getting up4 ,he spake thus to them3 8,what d'ye think1 my friends8 ,i've made a good day to-day1 for ,i've found a little stone so beautiful that it is worth many scudi1 and ,i found it in my vineyard1 and ,i suppose it must have belonged to our ancestors1 because as you know this vineyard lies beneath the great ruins familiar to all of you4 ,well1 when ,i was coming home from work1 had gone about #bjj yards1 ,i was prompted to make water4 ,as ,i was doing this and looking towards the vineyard1 ,i fancied ,i saw a spark glowing at the foot of one of my vines2 it seemed to me a perfect age before ,i could finish what ,i was about4 ,when ,i did1 ,i'm blessed if ,i could find anything1 however hard ,i tried2 so ,i thought ,i'd go back again have another look1 and keep my eyes fixed upon it1 so back ,i went the same way1 and then all of a sudden out burst the spark again4 ,well1 ,i kept looking looking at it1 till1 see here6 ,i found this10--so saying he opened his fist and showed his treasure4 ,while he had been talking1 a ,venetian ambassador1 who was coming along on his mule with a few servants1 had stopped to listen4 ,after a bit this gentleman came up close1 as if he wanted to hear all about this wonder of a fire being transformed into a stone2 then1 very politely accosting my poor kinsman1 8,gentlemen10 said he1 8,if ,i am not presuming upon you1 or appear to be taking too great a liberty1 might ,i beg of this gentleman to allow me to look at the beautiful stone that he says he found in his vineyard40 ,at these words ,cola opened his fist1 which he had kept locked up tight1 said to the ambassador3 8,there he is1 look at him as much as you like60 ,the ,venetian gentleman1 who was a man of perfect manners1 continued with the politest language3 8,if ,i am not appearing too presumptuous10 he said1 8,i would make so bold as to ask if you1 sir1 are disposed to part with the stone1 if so1 at what you esteem its value80 ,the poor ,roman1 whose coat was somewhat frayed out at elbows--a fact which had given the ,venetian pluck to drive his bargain--said3 8,well1 it isn't exactly that ,i've got to sweat for my daily bread1 but if you're ready to pay the stone's value1 ,i don't mind obliging you4 ,look at him well now1 and see if you like him4 ,i shall require ten ducats of the ,camera for him40 ,the ,venetian simpered satisfaction for a bit1 then spake in the fashion of those polished gentlemen1 much more polished than your ,roman1 who1 though they are examples to the world in glory1 are not up to your consummate ,venetian in speech--they can't out with it fast enough3 8,one favour only ,i beg of you2 ,i never carry much money in my purse1 may ,i entreat you to send the jewel to me by some trusty servant of yours1 ,i will give him what you have asked40 ,the poor ,roman1 who knew no trustier friend than himself1 said he would go along with him personally1 and winking to one of his mates1 to whom he had told all his adversity1 he strode off with the ambassador1 who dismounted walked beside him4 ,then the ,venetian1 in order to prevent the latter from repenting of his bargain1 began chatting in the most delicious manner1 in a manner such as only your ,venetian can1 enough to take any ,roman's breath away4 ,the one listened1 enjoying these exquisite nothings1 the other prattled along as hard as he could1 the journey really seeming an eternity to him4 ,at length he reached his house1 and putting his hand into a purse in which he had a great pile of ducats of the ,camera1 he spread them out with open hand before the astonished gaze of the poor ,roman2 the latter1 who had gone many a long year without seeing the like of such1 feasted his eyes on this delicious looking gold1 then put the jewel in the ambassador's hand4 ,one1 two1 three1 the latter counted out the ten ducats1 shouted in haste to his servants that they should saddle his good horse1 taking out two more ducats1 called out to the ,roman1 who was just going off3 8,here1 ,i say1 these two gold ducats ,i give you over above our bargain1 to buy a rope to hang yourself with60 ,the proud ,roman couldn't make out why he was thus spoken to2 he fired up1 wanted to make for the ambassador1 but our fine gentleman quickly mounted his horse1 and sped away from ,rome4 ,later on it transpired that he had had the jewel beautifully set1 and gone off with it to ,constantinople1 where a new prince had ascended the throne4 ,owing to the rarity of the stone1 he asked and received for it a fabulous sum1 with which he afterwards betook himself again to ,venice4' ,that is all ,i ever heard of this kind of carbuncle4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,minuterie ,,work4 ,minuterie work is all that class of work done with the punch1 such as rings and pendents and bracelets4 ,in my time1 too1 it was the custom1 among other charming things1 to make little medals of gold which were worn in the hat or the cap2 and on these medals portraits were engraved in low or half relief1 and in the round1 and they looked just lovely4 ,the greatest master in this art that ,i ever knew1 lived in the times of the ,popes ,leo1 ,adrian1 and ,clement1 and he was ,caradosso of whom ,i told you above4 ,now will ,i tell you not only of the method which he adopted in his craft1 but that which was employed by other masters4 ,it was ,caradosso's custom to make a little model in wax of the form he wished his work to be4 ,when he had carefully finished the modelling of this and filled in all the undercutting1 he made a cast of it in bronze of the proper thickness2 then he beat out a gold leaf rather thicker1 if anything1 in the middle1 and so as to admit of its being easily bent1 and in surface some two knife backs bigger than the surface of the model4 ,this he proceeded to beat out into a slightly curved form1 and to soften with heat1 and then laid on to the bronze model1 and with punches of the right sort1--wooden ones to begin with of birch or cornel1#ej the latter by preference--he very1 very carefully followed the shape of his figure or whatever it was he was working on4 ,ever so much care is necessary while doing this to prevent the gold from splitting4 ,and on you work1 now with your wooden1 now with your steel punches1 sometimes from the back1 sometimes from the front1 ever most mindful to keep an equal thickness throughout1 for if it become thicker in one place than in another1 the work would not attain so fine a finish4 ,it was just in this very getting of the gold so equal all over that ,i never knew a man to beat ,caradosso4 ,well1 then1 when you've got your model worked up to the point of relief at which you want to bring it1 you begin with the greatest cunning to bring the gold together over the legs and over the arms and round behind the heads of the figures the animals1 then1 if1 when all has been well worked together1 there is still a little bit of gold loose at the edges1 you carefully cut it off with a pair of scissors4 ,and the little bits that stick out at the back of the legs and arms and heads1 that is to say those in high relief1 are likewise ever so carefully beaten down4 ,by the way1 ,i ought to have told you that your gold must be good1 gold of at least twenty-two-and-a-half carats1 but not quite twenty-three carat gold1 for you'd find that a bit too soft to work in2 and if it were less than twenty-two-and-a-half it would be too hard1 and rather dangerous to solder4 ,and now for the soldering1 if you've brought your work on so far4 ,for this same hot soldering you take a little verdigris1 the best you can get1 from its original cake1 nor must it ever have been used before1 it should be about the size of a young hazel nut without its rind1 with it you put the sixth part of salts of ammonia and as much borax2 when these three substances are well-pounded together you dissolve them in a glass of clear water4 ,then with a soft wood shaving you take the mixture1 which will now have the substance of a paint1 and spread wherever there are joint lines on arms1 legs1 heads1 or on the ground of your work4 ,after this you pepper a little more well-pounded borax upon them out of your borax castor1 and then light a fresh fire of partly consumed-wood coal and put your work in the fire4 ,see that your coals are set with their unconsumed sides away from it as they are apt to smoke4 ,this done1 erect a little grating of coal on top of your work1 minding1 however1 that the charcoal does not touch the work itself4 ,be ready at hand when the charcoal is beginning to glow and your work is growing fire-coloured1 to blow wind over it with your bellows very skillfully and very evenly1 so that the flames may play all round it alike4 ,if you blow too hard the fire will spring up and burst into flame1 and you run the risk of melting and spoiling your work4 ,watching with care you will see the outer skin of gold begin to glow and then to move2 as soon as you note this1 quickly take a brush and sprinkle a little water on your work1 which will there and then be beautifully soldered without any need of special solder being applied to it4 ,and this one might call the first firing4 ,indeed1 the first soldering ought not to be called soldering at all1 but rather firing in one piece1 because there is so much virtue in the verdigris when combined with the salts of ammonia and the borax1 that it only moves the outer skin of gold1 and so fuses#ea it together that it all grows to one even strength4 ,after this you put your work into vinegar very strong and clean and mixed with a little salt1 and in this you let it bide overnight4 ,next morning you find it bright and free of all borax4 ,after this you put a little stucco at the back of it so that you can work on it with your punches2 and this stucco you make of ,greek pitch resin with a little yellow beeswax1 together with a little brick dust or well-ground terra cotta2 and this is the real right sort of stucco on which you may lay your medals1 or any other similar work you may have to chase4 ,then1 as to your punches1 you must have no end of these1 from the broadest1 getting smaller and smaller down to the very tiniest2 and every one of these must have no sort or kind of cutting edge1 because1 you see1 they are only to be used for the purpose of beating in and not of taking away2 and this beating in you have to do ever so delicately4 ,now of a sooth shall you find that in the doing of this you will have made lots of little holes and rents1 and these same have got to be soldered up4 ,not1 mark you1 in the way you did it before1 but by the making of a special solder1 and in this wise3 ,you take six carats of pure and fine gold put with it one-and-a-half carats of fine silver and of fine copper1 melting the gold first1 and then putting the others to it1 and so you have your solder1 and with it you may make good all your holes and rents4 ,note further1 that at every fresh soldering you must introduce a fresh alloy of silver and copper#eb so as to prevent the solder of the time before from running together2 and so on1 too1 in between each turn1 out you take your work1 press it on the stucco1 chase over it with your punches until you have wrought it to such finish as you may desire4 ,and then you have the whole fair method of the ,master ,caradosso of whom ,i told you before4 ,now ,i'll tell you of another fine way of working employed by other able men who ran him pretty close4 ,after the model in wax has been made and you have decided what it is you want to create1 you take a sheet of gold1 as ,i explained above1 thin at the sides and thick in the centre1 and you little by little beat it from the back with your larger punches until it is bossed up much like your model2 by this means you don't need to use your bronze1#ec and you bring your work considerably forward before even in the other method the casting is done4 ,in the former method1 too1 you will have had1 before each re-joining1 to rub your medal down with glass paper 7such stuff as the glass makers sell7 in order to clean from it most carefully whatever matters the fumes from the bronze may have sullied the gold withal4 ,but if you follow my second method you won't need to do this glass papering1 because you won't be bothered by the nasty stains the bronze makes on the gold4 ,whenever ,i can1 while thus telling of my craft1 ,i purpose giving you a practical example1 which you know is always a much better way of explaining what a man means1 which will make those of my readers who are eager to learn and to practise and delight themselves in these divers methods1 much more likely to believe what they read4 ,in the manner above described ,i once fashioned a medal for a certain ,girolano ,maretta1 a ,sienese2 and on this medal was a ,hercules rending the jaws of the lion4 ,both ,hercules and lion had ,i wrought in such high relief that they only just touched the background by means of the tiniest attachments4 ,the whole work had been done in the second of the above methods1 that is to say without the bronze models2 now working from in front1 now from the reverse1 and brought to such a height of delicacy and finish of design that our mighty ,michael ,angelo himself came to my very workshop to see it1 when he had looked at it a minute or so1 he1 in order to encourage me1 said3 #8,if this work were made in great1 whether of marble or of bronze1 and fashioned with as exquisite design as this1 it would astonish the world2 and even in its present size it seems to me so beautiful that ,i do not think ever a goldsmith of the ancient world fashioned aught to come up to it6' ,these words stiffened me up#ed just1 and gave me the greatest longing to work1 not only in the smaller things1 but to try larger things also4 ,for1 thought ,i1 words such as these1 coming from so great a man1 can but have the following meaning3 ,had the figures been tried on a large scale ,i should not have produced them with near such beauty as on a small2 and while1 on the one hand1 the great man gave me so much praise1 he1 on the other1 intimated that one who could do things in little of such merit might yet not be able to do them in great4 ,but still1 not so much because ,i imagined this to have been ,michael ,angelo's meaning1 as that ,i had heard that he had expressed it in words to others1 these words of his inspired me with longing to learn yet a thousand times more than ,i knew already4 ,this happened about a year after the sack of ,rome2 ,i was in ,florence at the time4 ,when ,i had made the medal1 one of our ,florentine gentlemen1 by name ,federigo ,ginori1 came looked me up4 ,he was a great lover of beautiful things1 and especially fond of men of talent1 to whom he was a great patron4 ,in former days he had been many years in ,naples on business1 there he had fallen in love with a great princess4 ,on his return to ,florence he bethought him of having a medal made1 whereon to record this somewhat formidable attachment of his4 ,so he came and found me out1 and spake3 #8,benvenuto1 my well-beloved1 ,i have seen a little medal by your hand made for ,girolano ,maretta1 and albeit ,i long to tell you that it is impossible for any medal to cap that one1 yet for the love you bear me1 make another for me1 will you1 if not more then at least as beautiful as that one2 and in this medal ,i should like to see an ,atlas with the heavens on his back2 ,i should like it all so exquisitely done that it shall be recognised at once2 pray don't bother about any considerations of cost whatever4' ,i set to work and made a little model with all the diligence ,i could1 fashioning the ,atlas in question out of white wax4 ,then1 having said to the gentleman that he might leave the working out to me1 ,i determined to make a medal that should have a field of lapis lazuli1 the heavens a ball of crystal1 engraven upon them the signs of the zodiac4 ,so ,i made a plate of gold1 and began1 bit by bit to work my figure up in relief with all the patience you can possibly imagine4 ,i took a small rounded stake1#ee and on this ,i wrought little by little1 working up the gold from the ground with a small hammer1 working right into arms and legs1 making all alike of equal thickness4 ,in this manner1 with the greatest diligence and patience ,i brought the work to completion4 ,this we call #8lavorare in tondo1' working in the round2 that is without putting the figure on pitch1 or such a stucco basis as ,i described above4 ,it wasn't till ,i'd worked it up to a certain point that ,i then took my punches and continued it on the stucco with very great finish4 ,then little by little did ,i raise the figure off its ground1#ef which is a thing very difficult to explain how to do--still ,i'll tell you as best ,i can4 ,previously we saw how the arms legs of the figure might be worked as one and part of the gold background1 and thus make it possible for the background to be utilised as a fitting part of the design4 ,now1 however1 since the background is not needed as a part of the design1 it may be used up2 therefore with a small hammer on your little stake or anvil1 with the small end of the hammer you work gently on the gold1 and with the action of the hand push the gold behind1 using the punches as well1 so that the figure comes up in high relief from the ground4 ,in the other method where you left the figures on the ground1 you didn't want them in high relief1 but took care that your fine ground never got out of line2 now1 however1 since you have no use for it1 you can twist it about at will1 care only being taken that sufficient gold is left for the attachments at the back1 and when all the background is cut away you can proceed to fix your figure on to whatever independent background you may have devised for it4 ,after this you give it a last coating of solder to finish up with1 but without however laying your work on the stucco1 for the simple reason that there are now no more open places for the stucco to go in4 ,this is how ,i did the ,atlas1 when ,i had finished him1 ,i fixed him in those places where he was to touch the lapis lazuli background by means of fastening two little pins or stakes of gold1 of sufficient strength1 into holes made in the lapis1 and so he was firmly set4 ,then ,i got a lovely crystal ball1 of good proportion to my ,atlas1 engraved the zodiac thereon1 and fixed it upon the nape of his neck1 so that he held it high in his hands4 ,to end all ,i made a most sumptuous frame adorned with gold1 full of foliage1 fruits1 and other conceits1 and set the whole of my work within it4 ,nor ought ,i to forget a very pretty sentiment that had to be added in the shape of a ,latin motto4 ,my gallant1 inasmuch as he was enamoured of so great a lady1 and of rank so much loftier than himself1 wished me to place on the medal the words #8summam tulisse juvat4' ,some say that this gentleman died shortly after1 though still quite in his youth1 by reason of his love for the lady4 ,as he had been a friend of ,messer ,luigi ,alamanni1 also a great lover of art1 the latter at his death came into possession of the medal1 he1 while at a later time on a visit to the ,king of ,france1 made a present of the medal to the ,king4 ,then began the ,king to make most earnest inquiry as to whether he knew the master who had made the medal4 ,messer ,luigi declared that he did not know him personally1 albeit he was all along my very dear friend4 ,king ,francis thereupon began to have a great longing that ,i should come enter his service1 the which in the end ,i did4 ,but of that ,i'll tell later on1 all in its proper place1 because that didn't happen till many years after4 ,i promised to speak in good time of a clasp that ,i made for ,pope ,clement to fasten his cope with4 ,now since ,i can't do your fine elegant manner of writing ,i'll tell about my craft as clearly as ,i can1 and as well as my simple mind will permit it1 and best of all1 ,i'll give some more examples of things that happened to me--,i shall be much safer if ,i do that4 ,this clasp was a very big and a very hard job2 for1 albeit a small piece of work1 there is little doubt but that these small pieces of work are often harder the smaller they are4 ,the clasp was about the size of an open palm and circular in form4 ,within it was a design of ,god the ,father giving the benediction4 ,the head and arms of the ,father were worked completely in the round1 the rest was raised in good relief out of the background1 and was surrounded by a number of jolly little angels1 of these some of them were peeping from out of ,his mantle1 some were scattered about among jewels1 of which ,i'll tell you first4 ,these angel babies were some of them done completely in the round1 others in high relief1 others again in bas-relief4 ,and ,i so devised it that ,god the ,father was seated on the big diamond1 which had been bought it was said for #cj1jjj scudi4 ,this suggests the reflection as to how much harder it is for a man to do a piece of work in which his design is limited by having to use special jewels or aught else in particular4 ,still for all that1 you can do anything if only you set to work at it with all the love the zeal that your noble craft demands of you1 and so did ,i1 and this is how ,i did it4 ,i flattened out a sheet of gold about a finger's width wider than my work was to be1 having first made a very highly finished model of it4 ,then ,i began beating up the middle of the plate with my small hammers upon the stake2 now working with the narrow end on the front1 now on the back1 ,i gradually bossed up the gold1 using the punches in like manner1 till the figure little by little took shape2 so1 little by little1 first using one tool1 then another1 ,i gradually mastered the material1 till one fine day ,god the ,father stood forth in the round1 most comely to behold4 ,pope ,clement had got to hear that ,i worked in a method different from ,caradosso1 for certain envious men had told it to some of his suite1 by reason of their evil tongues the holy father imagined that ,i was an ignoramus and not up to managing so big a job4 ,so he sent for me to come and show him the method in which ,i worked1 and how far ,i had got4 ,straightway ,i went to him1 bringing with me my work as far as it had got4 ,god the ,father stood out from it already showed very well how ,he was going to look when finished4 ,for my part ,i thought that the work in the metal excelled that in the wax1 and so thought his ,holiness also2 and being the sensible man that he was1 he turned to certain gentlemen of his suite said3 #8,great is the virtue of determination1#eg the more she is troubled with envy the more beautiful doth she become1 grows in despite thereof4 ,i know but little of the technique of the work1 but ,i am well assured that it is much more beautiful now than in the model ,i saw before3 only ,i can't for the life of me see how you are going to get that crowd of angels on to this disc without spoiling what you have done already4' ,on this ,i described to the ,pope the way in which ,i purposed to bring the angels to the fore1 one by one1 first those that were to be quite in the round1 then those of less relief1 working the gold up thick into the places where the highest relief was to be1 in fact just as ,i had worked up ,god the ,father1 and employing hammers and punches alternately1 now from in front1 now from the back2 and ,i showed him how the highest part of the relief was the hardest part of the work1 and how the great art was to get the gold of as equal thickness as possible all over4 ,of course ,i know quite well that our good ,master ,caradosso worked in a different way1 and indeed ,i learnt many goodly things from him2 and for those who have learnt their craft1 'tis easy to put two and two together4 ,but ,i'm of opinion that ,caradosso's method of working on the bronze model would have been much more difficult to employ in this instance1 would have taken a much longer time1 would have needed ever so many botchings and solderings1 would have run all the risks of the fire into the bargain4 ,thus my experience was that by employing the other method you got rid of all these difficulties and had your work done much quicker4 ,at these words of mine the good ,pope1 who was really an exceedingly capable man1 said3 #8,go1 my ,benvenuto1 work in your own way1 finish it for me quickly1 and it shall be well for you2 and when1 from time to time1 ,i bid you come1 bring your work with you2 not that ,i may instruct you thereon1 but that ,i may have the joy of beholding such goodly handiwork as yours4' ,the age of a good prince whose delight is in the encouragement of all beautiful things is the age for men of talent1 and such a time came about in the days of the first ,cosimo de ,medici1 who was their great patron4 ,it was he who gave ,filippo ,brunellesco1 ,donatello1 ,lorenzo ,ghiberti their opportunity4 ,filippo was as fine an architect as ever was2 ,donatello sculped in marble and in bronze1 even wrought wondrously in the difficult art of painting4 ,lorenzo ,ghiberti made the bronze gates of ,s4 ,giovanni that have no equal in the world4 ,then came ,lorenzo de ,medici1 under whom was developed ,michael ,angelo ,buonaroti1 most marvellous of men4 ,he had scarce given proof as yet of his great powers when ,god willed that he should be called to ,rome by ,pope ,julius ,,ii41 who not only took pleasure in all that was beautiful1 but also understood it1 and so set ,bramante1 the architect1 to work4 ,bramante1 who1 though a painter of little credit1 had such a bent towards architecture in its grandest manner1 that good ,pope ,julius1 of his bountifulness1 gave him lots of work and a salary of #ajjj scudi a year to boot4 ,seeing how fond ,pope ,julius was of all kinds of beautiful work1 and how he had a mind to have the inside of the ,sistine ,chapel painted1 ,bramante introduced ,michael ,angelo1 who was then living in ,rome almost unknown of little account4 ,the work was entrusted to him1 such goodly encouragement did he receive in the painting of that wonderful chapel that the grand manner of painting was as it were revived4 ,then came ,pope ,leo ,x41 and at the same time ,francis1 ,king of ,france2 and these twain ran it hard between them as to which should gather the greatest talent about him4 ,then came the luckless ,pope ,clement1 and he helped and furthered the arts too1 'tis true1 but he had so much adversity in his papacy1 and there was so much trouble in the land1 that he could never help as much as his kindly soul longed to do4 ,i know well to tell of this for ,i served him during all his papacy1 and was quite a young man at the time4 ,it was in connection with the work of which ,i have been telling you above that the ,pope said he wished to see the designs and models of all those who thought themselves able to undertake the work2 and this was soon after the great sack of ,rome1 and ,i had come thither from ,florence1 and when ,i heard the rumour of it1 ,i too made me a model in white wax of the size the work was to be1 taking it with me presented myself before the ,pope4 ,many artists were there showing the sketches they had prepared for this beautiful commission1 when ,i joined them the ,pope had already seen a goodly number1 and they were set before his ,holiness by one ,micheletto1 a stone-carver1 an able man enough in his own line4 ,in all these divers designs their authors had so devised it that the big diamond was set in the middle of the breast of ,god the ,father4#eh ,the ,pope himself had suggested the motive of the design1 but when he saw how everybody alike had set so great a stone into the breast of so tiny a figure he said3 #8,why can't that stone be set in some other manner except always in the breast8' ,whereupon some of them replied that it could not be set otherwise if right value was to be given to it in the design4 ,the ,pope1 who was beginning to weary of so many designs1 turned to me and asked if ,i had brought nothing to show2 while ,i was still undoing my box the ,pope turned to some of the older masters1 and said to them3 #8',tis always well to look at everybody's rendering of a thing3 albeit ,benvenuto is young1 yet have ,i seen work of his that convinces me that he is in the right way4' ,then when ,i had uncovered my model put it before him2 he had scarce seen it when he turned to me and cried out3 #8,you've hit it6 that's how ,i want it done6' ,then he turned to the others said3 #8,see you now how this diamond can perfectly well be applied in another manner4 ,mark how ,benvenuto has made a stool of it and seated his figure thereon2 a better way of rendering it ,i can't conceive4' ,straightway he had me paid #ejj golden scudi1 and with most courteous words bade me ,god speed to my work4 ,and this was the beginning of such work as ,i--simple man as ,i am--have been enabled to do for the world4 ,you remember ,i promised in the beginning of my book to tell the causes that inspired me to write it1 causes which will move men to great wrath to great compassion for me4 ,well1 ,i can't keep it locked up in my breast any more1 ,i must out with it6 ,i have just told how great princes give opportunity to men of genius1 cause to re-kindle through them the beautiful art of the past4 ,well1 ,i make bold to say that ,francis1 ,king of ,france1 was the greatest lover of genius the most open-handed of any man that ever lived in the world4 ,i was called to his ,majesty when ,i was in ,rome1 and ,i joined him in the year #aedj1 being just forty years of age4 ,this king gave me all sorts of goodly work to do1 the which ,i will describe all in their place1 according as their various methods demand4 ,during my time with his ,majesty ,i made my first big works in sculpture and bronze1 works of great size2 never had ,i to ask him for pay or provision1 but ,i just lived on his lordly liberality2 for out of it he made me a stipend of #ajjj scudi annually1 gave me into the bargain a castle that is in ,paris called #8,petit ,nello1' wherein ,i served him four entire years4 ,and forasmuch as there was great war in these parts1 ,i begged grace of his ,majesty to let me travel to ,italy2 which favour he accorded me1 though none too willingly4 ,in the end ,i left with his good will1 and remained his creditor for #gjj ducats of gold of my salary1 in addition all the stock and material for the great works ,i had been engaged on1 the which amounted to about #ae1jjj scudi4 ,in my castle1#ei which ,i left under the guard of my two pupils1 ,pagolo ,romano and ,ascanio ,napoletano1 ,i left several great and small vases made of my own silver1 not to mention a large vase all embossed with figures4 ,this one ,i had made with the ,king's silver1 the others1 as ,i have said1 were made from my silver1 therefore mine4 ,and over and above all this ,i left behind all the flower of the studies of my twenty years in ,rome1 and all the rich furniture of my house1 which was such as to be worthy of hosting any noble lord or gentleman4 ,the ,bishop of ,paira1 who was a friend of mine1 did ,i thus entertain1 and bring away from the hostel where he was staying1 during a long sojourn in ,paris2 to many others too1 in like manner1 ,i gave abundant hospitality4 ,i affirm that ,i came to ,italy for no other purpose than to keep my six poor nephews1 sons of my own sister2 and ,i gave aid to all of them as soon as ,i was again among them4 ,before departing from ,italy ,i went to seek out my lord the illustrious ,duke ,cosimo de ,medici in order to pay him my respects1 and ask his permission to return again to ,france4 ,this amiable prince gave me as warm a greeting as could possibly be imagined1 intreated of me to make him a model for a statue of ,perseus with the head of ,medusa in his hand1 telling me that he wished to erect the statue under one of the arches in the great loggia of the ,piazza4 ,this raised a mighty zeal for glory within me1 ,i said to myself3 #8,so is a work of yours to stand between one of ,michael ,angelo one of ,donatello1 both of them men who surpassed the ancients in genius8 ,what greater treasure could ,i desire than the honour of being set between these two mighty men8' ,and forasmuch as ,i knew that my studies in this art had by no means been slight1 ,i promised myself that my work should hold its own beside theirs4 ,in lightness of heart and full of energy ,i set me to a model of a ,perseus about the height of a cubit1 such as his excellency had commissioned2 and when ,i had done it ,i took it to him1 and he marvelled at it said3 #8,benvenuto1 if you had the courage to do this thing in great as admirably as you have done it in little1 ,i trow for a certainty that it would be the loveliest work in the ,piazza4' ,these words moved me greatly1 and in part with confidence for what ,i had already done1 in part with great ambition for what ,i had still in mind to do1 ,i said to the ,duke1 but with due modesty3 #8,most excellent sire1 consider well that in this ,piazza are works by ,donatello and by ,michael ,angelo ,buonaroti1 perhaps the biggest men that ever were in the world2 as for my own little model1 ,i will undertake to turn out the work at least three times more beautiful than this model you see here4' ,illustration3 ,a ,wax ,model for the ,perseus ,at these words of mine the duke shook his head1 ,i took leave of him4 ,two days after he set a room at my disposal1 supplied it with material and all the appliances needful for doing the work1 the which by slow degrees in a few years and after great difficulties needless here to relate1 ,i completed in the state you now see it4 ,the noble duke said to me in winning words that ,i had been better than my promise1 and as ,i had contented him so well he was minded similarly to content me in whatever way ,i might wish4 ,at this so charming speech from his ,excellency ,i asked leave first before he accorded me aught for my labours1 to be allowed to go on a pilgrimage to ,vallombrosa1 ,camaldoli1 ,erma and ,s4 ,francesco1 in order to give thanks to ,god for having helped me through so many difficulties1 all of which ,i will tell of in their place4 ,at these words his ,excellency was graciously pleased to let me go1 and so ,i went on my way1 giving thanks to ,god4 ,in about six days ,i returned1 and at once called upon my lord1 who welcomed me again with the greatest favour4 ,two days later he seemed a bit grumpy without my having ever given him any cause for being so4 ,when ,i asked him for leave of absence1 he refused to grant it1 and at the same time he gave me no more commissions1 so that ,i could serve neither him nor other man4 ,nor was ,i able to find out the reason for the evil plight ,i was in4 ,so in my despair ,i felt sure my bad luck was due to the influence of those heavenly powers who have dominance over us here below2 in this state set to work to write my whole life1 my origin1 and all the deeds ,i had done in the world1 and ,i also described the many years in which ,i had served the illustrious ,duke ,cosimo4 ,but on thinking the matter over ,i was minded how great princes often take it ill if their subjects complain tell the truth about them2 so with much heart-burning not without tears ,i tore up what ,i had written about the part of my life spent in ,duke ,cosimo's service threw it into the fire1 vowing that ,i would never write about it again4 ,but for the mere purpose of being of some use to the world1 since ,i was thus left with nothing to do1 and moreover prevented from doing aught1 wishing to give ,god some sort of thanks for having made me the man ,i was1 ,i set to write what ,i am now writing4 ,well1 it's off my mind now1 so let us get back again to good ,pope ,clement1 who gave me so many opportunities of doing great work1 of all of which ,i will duly speak4 ,a little more about the cope clasp1 then4 ,having thus bossed up ,god the ,father and wrought the whole thing in a manner different from ,caradosso1 ,i set myself afresh to fashion little by little the angels round about ,him1 especially those that were of higher relief than others4 ,everybody knows that this is one of the most difficult things to do in our craft1 and likewise one of the most pleasing1 for just think1 ,i bossed up in high relief with my punches in the manner ,i described above1 some fifteen little angels without ever having to solder the tiniest rent1 and all this ,i was able to do because of my diligence1 my knowledge1 my patience1 and my mastery over all the best methods of workmanship4 ,the ,pope would scarce let three days pass without sending for me1 and each time would he see first one1 then another angel baby peep forth1 and this made him marvel greatly1 and each time he asked me how on earth ,i managed to do it2 how ,i could bring so difficult a piece of work about in so short a time1 and all without a single rent4 #8,i have seen1' said he1--and he was a man who knew a good thing when he saw it--#8many works of ,caradosso which were full of holes and solder long before they had got as far as this4' ,and thus each time he gave me good encouragement1 ,i pegged merrily away at my work4 ,when ,i had completed all the high relief angels and joined together the gold behind their heads and arms and legs1 and filled up the openings1 ,i began with great care the soldering1 doing it in the way ,i described above1 but putting with each new soldering a fresh alloy of the baser metals 7i4e41 the copper the silver74 ,now forasmuch as ,i did not wish to disfigure so large a work with many solderings1 and also because ,i wanted later on to enamel it1 ,i put it to the fire as little as possible1 managed to get all the legs and arms and heads together at one go1 finished the lot in four firings4 ,this done1 ,i began with great diligence to work over the soldered parts1 especially those on the background1 till ,i had it all of uniform evenness1 whereupon ,i set it once more on the pitch 7i4e41 the stucco71 once more wrought it over with the punches4 ,a large number of angels in bas-relief1 many in mere outline were still to do1 so them ,i brought out boldly with the punches2 upon this ,i melted the pitch out again1 heated the gold well1 applied it once more to the pitch1 but this time with the under side of the work uppermost1 so that all my figures were buried in the pitch2 also this time made the pitch a bit softer because ,i was going to emboss from the back the figures which ,i had outlined in from the front2 this ,i did with great skill1 determining which ,i wanted to boss up most4 ,then once again ,i emptied out the pitch1 and placed the work face upwards on the harder pitch1 and most cunningly finished it all over with the punches as ,i described above4 ,as there were still the gems to go upon it ,i made a base to the work1 with an eye attached1 so that it might therewith be applied to the cope on the ,pope's breast4 ,this base was all worked around with different little snails and masks and other pleasing trifles1 and was firmly fastened with invisible screws to the boss1 and looked just as if it had been soldered on4 ,as1 moreover1 the work was enamelled in various places1 especially round the frame work1 ,i set to to burnish it up to a fine finish on the bare unwrought parts1 and this is how ,i did that3 ,i took some four or five hard pointed stones#fj which are sharp at the ends and thicken upwards in the manner and of the size of punches1 and ,i used with them some well-powdered pumice stone4 ,the object of using these stones is to take out the marks of the steel tools1 the punches1 chisels1 files1 and such-like1 to give it a fine uniform surface2 and last1 but not least1 a brilliancy of colour which would not be so easy if the marks of the steel tools 7and the skin they make7 were not obliterated4 ,to finish the draperies also1 ,i used a very fine steel tool exquisitely tempered and then broken off1 for the broken end gives the right delicacy of texture2#fa and ,i tapped it all over the draperies with a small hammer weighing about two scudi or less1 this is what we call camosciare1 tanning the surface4#fb ,a further different method yet may be employed for larger drapery1 this is called granire1 graining1 and is done by a sharp-pointed steel tool1 but not broken like the other one4 ,then there is yet a further method by which the ground is sharply accentuated from the figures by hatching it over with a fine sharp graver#fc in one direction crosswise1 for it does not turn well the other way4 ,when all the above has been carefully carried out1 put your work in a clean glass vase1 get some little children to make water over it1 for their urine is purer and warmer than men's4 ,then prepare to give it its last finishing touches by colouring4 ,this you do with verdigris salts of ammonia2 the verdigris must be as pure as possible2 and if you want it firm and richly coloured add a twentieth part of clean saltpetre1 the stuff they make gunpowder with4 ,these must all be well ground together1 but mind you don't grind them upon iron or bronze1 they must be pounded on stone and with stone2 porphyry is the best stone of all4 ,you then take the powder you have made from the above1 put it in a glass flask1 and mixing it with a strong white vinegar1 make a paste of it not too moist nor too dry1 and apply this paste to your work with as fine a hog sable as you can find1 putting it on very evenly and to about the thickness of half a knife's back4 ,at the same time you must have ready a wood-coal fire half-burnt out1 spread the coals so that you can lay your work upon them1 put it in the fire with your pinchers take a few glowing coals and move them up and down over the paste1 especially where it is thickest1 so that it heats equally all over4 ,you must be careful not to do this for too long1 there's all the difference between heating scorching your work1 and if you did this it would get a bad colour on the one hand1 on the other be difficult to clean afterward4 ,when you see the paste drying equally and about half-dry1 put your work on to a stone1 or on a wooden table2 and cover it up with a clean basin till it has got cold4 ,then put it again into a glass jar1 and if you want it to come out well1 let the little ones make water over it again as before4 ,after this clean it up with small soft hog sables4 ,this injunction need only be observed in cases where the work is enamelled1 in other cases it will do just to dip it in urine after the heating of the paste of verdigris4 ,after this the precious gems are set firmly with screws and clamps1 and last of all the base is1 as ,i told you before1 firmly screwed on4 ,yet another way there is of working upon gold1 particularly in cases where you want to introduce figures of about half a cubit in size4 ,pursuing my method of always making things clear to you by means of examples1 ,i mind me of many of the cardinals in ,rome who used to have crucifixes in their private cabinets2 these crucifixes were about the height of a palm or a finger more1 were made of gold1 silver and ivory4 ,the first of these gold crucifixes was made by ,master ,caradosso1 and most admirably designed1 and ,i suppose he got about #ajj scudi apiece for them1 or more4 ,first ,i'll tell you the way he made his1 then ,i'll tell you how ,i made mine1 which differed considerably from his method1 was much harder1 but was sooner finished1 and produced more beautiful results4 ,it was in this wise3 ,caradosso would make a little model in wax of the size he wished his work to be1 but he made the legs apart1 not as is customary with the ,crucified1 one crossed over the other4 ,then he cast his model in bronze2 and cutting his gold sheet in triangular form some two or three large fingers wider all round than would cover his model1 he laid it thereon and hammered it over with rather long wooden hammers till it looked like a half relief2 next he proceeded very carefully to work it all over front and back with punches hammers till the relief stood out to his liking2 then1 still with the same tools1 he joined the ends of gold together at the figure's back until they touched on the round of the head1 back1 and the legs4 ,after this he filled the figure with pitch1 i4e41 the aforesaid stucco1 and with punches and hammers brought out#fd all the muscles and limbs4 ,then he emptied the pitch out again1 joined soldered the gold together1 using gold of two carats less than the gold of his figure1 leaving one hole still open at the shoulder to admit of the pitch being again poured in and out2 and then wrought it over once more with his punches2 very carefully placed the feet crosswise1 and then gave it its last coating and finish4 ,i don't employ this bronze method because ,i don't think bronze gold go well together1 the bronze tending to crack the gold1 and the whole thing taking a long time in the execution4 ,owing to my experience and my all round knowledge of the craft1 ,i went straight to the gold with my punches and a number of small stakes called caccianfuori2 and so1 while ,caradosso was still fiddling away with his bronze casting1 ,i had got several days' work ahead of him1 and was quit of the bother of the bronze firings into the bargain2 and thus1 though in other respects ,i followed all the methods of this excellent man1 also in enamelling and in colouring1 it came about that ,i did much more and obtained much better results than he4 ,illustration3 ,king ,francis' ,salt1 first view ,now my friend1 in order to keep my promise with you as to the real practical things1 and to show you that ,i'm not one who goes cribbing other people's ideas methods but has worked them out with his own hands1 ,i'll tell you of the salt cellar#fe ,i made for ,king ,francis ,i4 ,it was oval in shape and about two-thirds of a cubit round1 and the base of it was about four man's fingers high1 and very richly ornamented4 ,and ,i divided it up in such pleasing wise as one's craft will allow2 one part ,i made as ocean and the other as earth1 and on the side of ocean ,i had put a figure of gold about half a cubit high1 completely rounded made with punches and chisels1 in the manner told above4 ,ocean was personified by ,neptune1 ,god of the ,sea1 and ,i made him in a shell1 a kind of nautical triumphal car to which were yoked four sea-horses--horses' heads and fishes' tails4 ,in ,neptune's right hand ,i put his trident1 while his left was stretched out the whole length of his arm4 ,over a most richly wrought bark which was meant to hold the salt1 were graven most minutely and cunningly battles of marine monsters2 on the opposite side to ,neptune was a female figure1 of the same size as the male1 and ,i so devised it that the legs of the male the female were crossed most gracefully one with the other1 and in each the one leg was bent and the other extended1 thus typifying the mountains the even places of the earth4 ,by the side of the female figure ,i put a little ,ionic temple1 most richly wrought1 and this was to hold the pepper2 in her right hand was a very elaborate cornucopia of leaves and fruit and flowers1 and on the earth where she sat ,i indicated a number of beautiful little beasties1 just as on the other side ,i had fashioned a variety of exquisite little fish peeping up from the sea4 ,furthermore1 in the oval body of the salt ,i had planned out eight niches1 in each one of which figured ,spring1 ,summer1 ,autumn ,winter1 on one side1 and ,dawn1 ,day1 ,twilight and ,night on the other4 ,in the hollow of the salt's base was a block of ebony1 of which1 however1 only a tiny strip showed beneath1 and the which1 being black1 told well against the gold4 ,this base again rested on four balls of ivory1 set half way into the ebony and so devised that they turned on their pivots1 and you could move the salt cellar about hither and thither on the table1 roll it where you liked4 ,i must tell you some absurd things that happened to me when ,i presented the salt to the most ,christian ,king4 ,his ,majesty had referred me to one of his treasurers1 a ,monsieur de ,marmagna1 a shrewd old fellow1 and terribly fierce4 ,now you know the ,french the ,italians are deadly enemies2 well1 this old gentleman1 about a month before ,i brought the salt-cellar to the ,king1 had shown me a little bronze statuette a trifle bigger than my gold ones4 ,this figure was an ,antique1 represented ,mercury with his caduceus in his hand4 ,he told me that it belonged to a poor peasant who would gladly sell it1 whereupon ,i said that if he did not care to buy it for himself1 ,i1 who knew the figure to be of very charming workmanship1 would willingly give #ajj golden scudi for it1 and like the frank and open man ,i am1 ,i praised the figure greatly1 declaring ,i had never seen a lovelier4 ,whereupon that evil old man said he would do his best to get it for me1 and gave me great hopes of getting it1 for that ,i had set it at a higher value1 offered more than any other connoisseurs who had seen it4 ,i thought no more about the matter till the day that ,i brought my salt-cellar to ,king ,francis4 ,the good ,king examined my work very carefully1 and expressed himself most satisfied1 when1 just as all were expressing their delight1 that wicked old fellow drew forth his statuette said to the ,king3 #8,sacred ,majesty1 this figure is an ,antique1 as you may readily see2 and 'tis of so excellent workmanship that ,benvenuto here has himself offered #ajj golden scudi for it4 ,i had it brought among my baggage from ,languedoc at the time of my treasurership2 but courage failed me to present it to your ,majesty until ,i had satisfied myself that it was of sufficient excellence to merit your acceptance4' ,illustration3 ,king ,francis' ,salt1 second view ,at these words the ,king turned to me1 and1 in the old boy's presence1 asked if what he had said was true4 ,i replied3 ,most assuredly1 and that the work appeared to me admirable4 ,whereupon the ,king said3 #8,then ,god be praised that here in our own day there be yet men born who can turn out so much more beautiful things than the ancients4' ,therewith he smiled1 and gave old ,m4 de ,marmagna back his statuette1 for of course he saw that the intention had been to disparage my work beside the antique4 ,hundreds of most graceful complimentary things did he continue to say about my work1 so much so that ,i never wished for any better remuneration for it than ,i got that day4 ,,footnotes3 #ej ,cornus sanguinea1 or dogwood4 #ea ,e con quello stesso lo ammarginano1 a tale2 che viene a essere per tutto una equal durezza4 #eb ,or it might be rendered3 #8,you must put in the ready-made solder a little of the alloy1' which is softer in the fire2 each new soldered piece having to be softer than the last to avoid the running again of the earlier work3 the alloy is presumably half copper and half silver1 though ,cellini does not say so2 elsewhere he talks of one copper to two silver1 so it might well be one carat of silver and the half carat of copper4 #ec ,occorre adoperare il bronzo4 #ed ,mi s'appicorno a dosso4 #ee ,tassetino tondo4 #ef ,spiccando dal suo campo4 #eg ,e gran cosa la forza che ha la virt4 #eh ,see ,cellini's ,autobiography1 ,symonds' translation4 #ei ,see ,cellini's ,autobiography1 ,symonds' translation4 #fj ,punte di pietre4 #fa ,una certa grana sotilissima4 #fb ,this might be better rendered as #8matting' or #8posting4' #fc ,possibly what we should call a #8scorper4' #fd ,ricercando4 #fe ,see ,autobiography4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,on ,,cardinals' ,,seals4 ,this sort of work is delightful4 ,in my time in ,rome1 that was about #aebe1 there was a certain master from ,perugia1 called ,lautizio1 who practised nothing else but the making of seals for the bulls of cardinals4 ,these seals are about the size of a ten-year-old child's hand1 and they are made in the shape of an almond4 ,the cardinal's title is engraved on them1 and usually in the form of a rebus1 or allegorically4 ,lautizio used to get at least #ajj scudi for each seal he made4 ,now always sticking to my method of describing things from work ,i have done with my own hands1 ,i'll tell you of two that ,i made in this branch of my art4 ,the first was for the ,cardinal of ,mantua1 brother of the ,duke4 ,on it was engraved the ascension of our ,lady1 with the ,twelve ,apostles1 for so ran the ,cardinal's title4 ,the other seal1 much more richly figured1 was for the ,cardinal ,ippolito of ,ferrara1 brother of ,duke ,hercules4 ,on this one was engraved ,st4 ,ambrose on horseback1 with a whip in his hand chastising the ,arians4 ,and as two stories had to be wrought upon it1 for the ,cardinal had a twofold title1 it was divided down the middle and the legend of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist preaching in the desert was engraved on the other part1 and both subjects were wrought with figures4 ,for the ,mantua seal ,i got #bjj ducats1 for the ,ferrara one1 #cjj4 ,the seals are made in the following manner4 ,you take a smooth and polished black stone1 and draw thereon the design you want to appear on the seal2 and with black wax1 a bit hardened1 you fashion whatever relief you wish the seal ultimately to impress4 ,when this is very delicately accomplished1 you take a little volterrano gesso1#ff or any other gesso1 provided it be very fine--boiled gesso it should be-- after having moistened your wax by painting it over very lightly with a fine paint brush and a little clean and pure olive oil1 you put the gesso on your wax4 ,you must mind not to get too much oil on your wax1 for it would then hurt the gesso and prevent it from penetrating into the finer delicacies of the wax4 ,before pouring on your gesso in the liquid state1 you must make a little wall or embankment of fresh clean clay1 about two fingers high1 all round your seal4 ,as you pour your gesso on1 you guide it about very carefully into all the interstices of the wax by means of a long-haired brush4#fg ,after the gesso is well set1 remove it from the wax4 ,this1 of course1 will be easily done1 as there is no undercutting1 for since the work is ultimately to serve the purpose of a seal1 no projections are permissible4 ,then you clean out the matrix with a knife1 removing any scum or spoiled surface that may have been made by the gesso on the inside1 and polish it all up all round4 ,now there are two ways of casting in silver1 both of them are good and both of them will ,i describe to you4 ',tis true that one is a little easier than the other1 but as ,i say1 both are good and you may adopt whichever most wins your fancy4 ,do not1 however1 fail to try both1 because it is good for you to learn them1 you will find them very helpful to you in many ways in other branches of the goldsmith's art4 ,the first method was the one employed by ,lautanzio1 and he1 as ,i said1 was the greatest master in this branch of work whom ,i ever knew4 ,he used to take what is called earth for founding in boxes1#fh the same that all the bronze founders use1 and from which they cast the harness of horses mules1 brass studs1 and such-like trappings4 ,and forasmuch as this clay is known all the world over1 ,i shan't bother about describing it1 but only say that it is a kind of tufa earth4 ,by the bye1 as ,i write ,i am minded of a very rare kind of this tufa which is found in the bed of the ,seine in ,paris4 ,while there ,i used to take what ,i wanted from hard by the ,sainte ,chapelle1 which stands on an island in ,paris in the middle of the ,seine4 ,it is very soft1 and has the property1 quite different from other clays used for moulding purposes1 of not needing to be dried1 but when you have made from it the shape you want1 you can pour into it while it is still moist1 your gold1 silver1 brass1 or any other metal4 ,this is a very rare thing1 and ,i have never heard of it occurring anywhere else in the world4 ,before considering the other kinds of clay that may be used for this sort of work1 it will be best for me to tell you carefully how to make your gesso model for casting your seal from4 ,after it is well cleaned with the knife in the way above described1 powder it with a little fine charcoal-dust1 or smoke it over with the soot from your lamp or taper2 either will do1 and ,i really needn't describe this1 because everybody knows how to do it4 ,then press the model into a caster's sand-box of sufficient size to hold it conveniently4 ,this done1 dry well that portion of the mould where the figures come 7that is to say if you are using the ,italian1 not the ,paris clay71 then have ready a little dough#fi in the form of a cake similar in shape thickness to what your silver or metal seal is finally to be1 and put this over the figures formed by the gesso and which will appear in relief1 having previously smoked over the mould with a little candle-smoke4 ,this done1 take the second box1 fill it with the same moist earth and when dried set it upon the first4 ,mind in so doing that you do not disturb the part already dried where the figures are4#gj ,this second half you will easily mould4 ,then open the mould1 and after taking out the dough-cake1 make the mouths and the two vent holes1 beginning at the bottom and going up as high as the mouth or ingress hole4 ,when both parts are dry1 smoke them over with a little candle-smoke and let them cool1 have your silver well molten and then pour it in4 ,experience shows that it is better to pour the silver into cold than into hot matrices4 ,now1 for the second method1 differing considerably from the first1 but1 as ,i have employed both1 and the second not only for seals but for casting all sorts of other things too1 ,i'll describe it to you also4 ,when you have from your original wax cast a gesso matrix in the manner above described1 take a little of the same gesso1 mix with it a little pith of horn#ga well dried1 a further part of tripoli1#gb finally another part of well-powdered pumice stone1 and pound these four parts well up together4 ,then add as much water to them as shall give them the consistency of a paste--neither too thick nor too fluid4 ,then with a fine brush paint the surface of your seal all round over the wax projections and into the interstices1 with a little olive oil4 ,waiting till it is well dried in the way we ,florentines call verdemezzo1 that is to say neither too dry nor too moist1#gc make a little wall of clay about two fingers high all round it1 and pour the above mixture into the work and paint it well in and around the whole of your subject4 ,pile the mixture up at least two fingers high and make about four fingers more of it at the upper end on account of the almond form which is the shape your seal will be1 for you need there greater size for the pouring-in mouth of your silver or whatever metal you may be using4 ,when the gesso is thoroughly dried1 which will not be till some four hours or so1 separate the one piece of gesso from the other1 taking very great care that none of your design is injured4 ,as you may well imagine1 it was much easier to separate the matrix from the wax in the first method than from the composition in the second1 because in the former it had a firmer consistency4 ,if some of the arms and heads don't appear to you to come out quite a success1 and remain stuck in the matrix1 you can remedy that in either of the following ways4 ,you can either pick out the bits remaining in the mould with a small paint brush1 re-apply them with a little powdered tripoli1 and since your design is in relief you will easily see the impressions made by it in the mould4 ,or1 for the other way1 you can clean out the mould entirely1 paint it round again and fill it up with the composition in the same way as before2 often if the first turn has not come out well1 the second does4 ,but pay the greatest possible attention to what ,i am going to tell you now4 ,make a waxen form1 almond-shaped1 and of the exact size your seal is to be1 hollow it out1 and lay it over the surface of your gesso relief4 ,then make your little ramparts of earth about this wax1 taking heed to make due provision for the channel of the casting1 which should be of ample length2 here ,i ought to tell you that the longer your channel is the better chance your work has of turning out well4 ,there are no end of little details still to be observed1 but if ,i were to tell you all of them ,i might as well begin teaching you your ,a ,b ,c4 ,so ,i assume that my readers are people who have mastered the first principles of the ,art4 ,i would remind you1 too1 that both the ingress mouth the vents have to be made of wax applied to the wax core4 ,these vents are fixed below1 turn up around the seal towards the ingress mouth2 they must not1 however1 come in contact with the latter1 because they have to do their own work of drawing out the air4#gd ,this done1 bind up your seal with well-tempered iron or copper wire1 and let it bide in the sun1 or some place where it can get warm well dried4 ,then put it in your little furnace of tiles and iron hoops and melt out the wax with such heat as may be needful4 ,of course your wax must have been free from all impurities or it would never melt out properly4 ,and when you have melted it out you make the fire stronger till your mould is regularly burnt1 the more it is baked the better your work will be4 ,then let it cool1 and because the silver adapts#ge itself more readily to the cold than to the hot mould--cold1 mark you1 but not moist--when it is well molten pour it in4 ,but ere you do this1 in order that it may not burn1#gf strew a little borax over it and upon that a handful of well ground tartar1#gg and you will find this help your work wonderfully4 ,then dip the mould in water in order better to separate it from the silver1 and so break it open4 ,this done clean the silver off at the points where the channel the vent holes come1 and give it a subtle finish with the file4 ,after this1 in order to give the seal its final touches1 you place it on the pitch1 and1 with your first gesso matrix before you1 work the silver with your punches1 gravers and chisels1 touching up and completing your subject now here1 now there1 figures1 swags1 arms1 bodies1 legs1 all alike1 accentuating#gh them in the matrix with your steel tools4 ,to see better how you are getting on1 you may occasionally press in a little black wax1 or whatever colour pleases you better1 to gauge the projections4 ,now note this3 my custom was to cut out the heads1 hands and feet of my figures on small steel punches1 and thinking the work came clearer and got a better result1 ,i struck these punches with dexterous strokes upon the seal with a hammer into their different places4 ,also you should make in a similar manner an alphabet of steel punches1 likewise many other conceits according as taste prompts4 ,when ,i was in ,rome1 or elsewhere1 working in this line1 ,i ofttimes amused myself by making new alphabets1 each for its occasion1 for they wear out soon1 and ,i got much credit by my inventiveness4 ,your letters should be well formed1 shaped as a broadly cut pen might shape them2 the strokes going up or down with the action of the hand1 the letters being neither too fat and stumpy1 nor too long and thin1 for both these are unpleasing to behold1 the moderately slim ones are the nicest to look at4 ,i ought not to omit telling you that the cardinal's arms1 or whatever they may be1 have to be done on the seals2 and these are always richly ornamented with figure work1 and ,i often used to have for the handle where-with the seal was attached1 some fine beasts1 or as often figures1 according to the emblem of the gentleman for whom the seal was made4 ,you should be careful not to omit these little complimentary touches because they redound to the honour of the master please the patron whom he serves4 ,i made1 among others1 such a handle in gold for the ,duke of ,mantua after ,i had made the one for his brother the ,cardinal2 and in addition to all the care ,i had put into the seal itself1 ,i added a little ,hercules for the handle1 he was sitting on his lion's skin1 and had his club in hand4 ,for this tiny figure ,i made no end of studies1 it brought me much honour with the sculptors and painters1 and among these was ,master ,giulio ,romano2 some of them made use of the design1 too1 for other purposes1 and ,i was well paid for it4 ,some artists have gone straight to work at their seals with merely cutting directly into their silver1 and without casting at all1 but pluckily doing their design straight on in the reverse with genuine knowledge of their art1 and using the steel dies of which ,i told you1 and they succeeded in it1 too4 ,i also have done this1 but ,i have found the casting method more practicable2 though both are good1 and can lead to excellent results4 ,,footnotes3 #ff ,gypsum or plaster from ,volterra 7the #aefh edition has #8gesso cotto ,volterranno4'7 #fg ,un penelletto alquanto grandicello di vaio--what ,i think in the ,english workshop would be called a #8rigger4' #fh ,che si chiama terra da formare nelle staffe4 ,it is not a clay1 but as he says1 a sand tufa 7#8areno di tufo'7 a volcanic spongey rock like pumice1 and they make cement of it4 #fi ,pasta di pane crudo4 #gj ,the #aefh edition gives a clearer version of this process than the original codex1 which is confusing4 ,i have translated it as literally as possible1 but the following might be read as more descriptive of the process3 ,the gesso matrix has been pressed into the sand of the first box1 and has made the mould of the relief work of the seal1 the dough is to make the shape of the body4 ,it would be roughly cut away to clear the figures1 and carefully placed over the part moulded4 ,then the second box would be put on1 and the moist earth tightly packed in4 ,after this the boxes would be separated and the dough taken out4 #ga ,midollo di corna4 ,see ,hoepli's handbook #8,oreficeria' for the modern process4 #gb ,calcined sulphate of iron4 #gc ,or1 as we ,english would perhaps say1 #8tacky4' #gd ,this1 which is the ordinary cire perdue process1 is again described in ,chapter ,,xxii41 where ,cellini deals with a vase he is making4 ,the accompanying diagram illustrates it in its application to seals4 ,the mouth or ingress hole1 or what will become the mouth1 is rolled in wax and attached to the top1 the two vents are rolled and attached in a similar way below1 but so as not to touch the pattern4 ,illustration3 ,diagram illustrating the application of the cire perdue process to seals ,v ,,vent4 7,sfiatatoio7 ,m ,,mouth ,,or ,,ingress ,,hole4 7,bocca7 ,a ,,almond-,,shaped ,,seal4 #ge ,segli accosta4 #gf ,riarda3 i4e41 oxidise4 #gg ,gromma di botte3 tartrate of potash4 #gh ,risserando4 ,illustration3 ,specimens of ,cardinals' ,seals ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,steel ,,dies ,,for ,,stamping ,,coins4 ,since the art of the coiner can teach the elements of stamping medals in methods similar to those of the ancients1 we will treat of that art first4 ,you must bear in mind that the ancients1 though they made their coins for use1 undoubtedly made their medals for show2 and as regards the former1 we moderns may pride ourselves on being able to produce them with greater facility1 and that1 like the printing of books and many such-like arts1 is a discovery of ours1 which though it be out of my scope to speak of them here1 ,i may have occasion to touch on elsewhere4 ,as to the coins1 ,i shall1 according to my usual custom1 speak with actual instances of the methods ,i have myself wrought in4 ,the first coins ,i made were for ,pope ,clement ,,vii4 in ,rome1 who summoned me to come to him from ,florence some eighteen months after the great sack of ,rome by the ,lord of ,bourbon4 ,and since the house of ,medici was at that time expelled from ,florence1 the ,pope sent for me by the hand of ,master ,jacopo dello ,sciorina1#gi the same that kept the ferry across the ,tiber1 by the ,banchi in ,tresteveri not far from the palace of ,messer ,agostino ,chigi4 ,this ,master ,jacopo wrote me twice on the ,pope's account2 when ,i got the second letter1 ,i made off as fast as ,i could1 for of a truth those terrible radicals#hj in power then would have hanged me had they found it on me4 ,pope ,clement1 when ,i came1 treated me with the most winning kindnesses1 and ordered me to make the coins for his city and ,mint in ,rome4 ,the first coins ,i made were gold pieces1 worth about two ducats each1 on which were stamped figures of divers sort4 ,on the one was the form of a nude ,christ1 his hands bound behind him1 done with all the care and study ,i was capable of2 down the sides of the figure ran the legend #8,ecce ,homo1' and around the circumference the words #8,clemens ,,vii41 ,pont4 ,max4'1 while on the other side was stamped the head of the ,pope4 ,a new occasion soon offered itself4 ,though ,i don't want to write a chronicle of events1 though ,i was not directly affected by them1 ,i can't help touching upon them slightly4 ,what the current talk in ,rome was at the time1 ,i don't need to dwell on2 any man with a head on his shoulders may easily imagine that for himself4 ,the second coin1 a beauty1 was likewise of gold1 a two-ducat piece4 ,on one side was a pope in his pontifical robes1 an emperor also in his regalia2 the two were supporting a cross which was in the act of falling to the ground4 ,i forget if there was a legend on this side2 but on the other were a ,st4 ,paul and a ,st4 ,peter in more than half relief1 with this legend around them3 #8,vnus spiritus1 una fides erat in ,eis4' ,this coin brought me much honour1 for ,i put great labour into it4 ,as the ,pope put more gold into it than its value warranted1 it soon was melted down again4 ,a third coin of my making was in silver1 of the value of two carlins1 on the one side of which was the head of the ,pope1 and on the other side a ,st4 ,peter1 just the moment after he has plunged into the sea at the call of ,christ1 and ,christ stretches out his hand to him in most pleasing wise1 and the legend to this was #8,quare dubitasti8' ,in ,florence likewise did ,i make all the moneys for ,duke ,alexander the first of that name2 they were #dj soldi pieces4 ,and because the ,duke was curly headed1 the people called these coins the ,duke's curls4#ha ,on one side was his head1 and on the other ,st4 ,cosmo and ,st4 ,damian4 ,in like manner did ,i make the coins called barile and grossone4 ,as ,i said above1 the ancients had not the facilities for stamping coins we have1 therefore we never see any of the beautiful sort1#hb for coins should be made1 or rather their dies1 with the purpose of striking with the greatest ease4 ,to begin with1 two steel tools are needed1 one called the pila the other the torsello4 ,the pila is in the form of a small stake or anvil1 upon which the medal you wish to press is cut in intaglio4 ,the other tool1 the torsello1 is about five fingers high1 its face being the size of your coin1 and it gradually tapers off toward the end4 ,both pila torsello are made of carefully chosen iron1 with their heads covered in the finest steel about one finger thick4 ,with his file the master gives them whatever shape size his coin may need4 ,then he makes a concoction of earth1 powdered glass1 soot from the chimney1 and bole of ,armenia1#hc adds a little horse-dung to this1 mixes it all up into a paste with a man's urine1 puts it on to the ends of the pila and the torsello to the thickness of about a finger4 ,these he then puts into the fire1 which should be strong enough to raise them to bright redness2#hd keeping the fire up for1 say1 a good winter's night1 he then lets them cool down by allowing the fire to go out4#he ,the exact size of the coins is now given to the ends of the dies1 barring about half the thickness of a knife's back all round the circumference1 and the face of each is then ground on a soft1 polished stone until both pila and torsello are absolutely smooth4 ,then with the compasses the exact size of the coin is drawn upon them1 also with another pair of compasses the circumference of the letters that form the legend round is marked4 ,in order that these compasses should not shift about1 a pair should be specially made of thick steel wire and of the exact size needed4 ,it is best to have at least two pairs of each kind1 and also one pair that will open and shut as you please4 ,when this is done1 the pila is firmly set in a big lump of lead of at least #ajj lbs4 in weight4 ,after this you can proceed to the engraving#hf of your coin on the die4 ,illustration3 ,coins and ,medals from various collections ,you very carefully cut upon the finest steel your design1 e4g41 the head of whatever prince you are serving1 and in order to do this nicely you must first have your steel well softened in the fire in the way ,i showed you the pila torsello were2 only take heed that your tool is of the very finest steel4 ,and the tools with which you work have to be made specially for the purpose4 ,thus for a head ,i should make the tool in two pieces1 and for the various figures on the reverse of a coin ,i should use a number of different pieces according to my discretion4 ,some have worked with very few1 but in so doing have much greater difficulty in sinking the design into the die4 ,the more such pieces you have1 the easier it becomes2 but you must always give great care in the combination of your punches4 ,and this combining is done while the master is engaged in cutting the intaglios by taking frequent impressions on a piece of polished tin1 to which you can give the right circumference with your compasses1 until you get the results you wish4 ,the tools used for this purpose have two names1 in some instances they are called punzoni 7punches71 and in other cases madre 7matrices71 and of a truth they are the mothers that may be said to beget the figures and all the other things you fashion in the die of your coins4#hg ,the men who did the best work in coining always did the whole of the work upon either the punches or the matrices1 and never once touched up the dies with either gravers or chisels1 for that would be a great blunder1 as all the various dies necessary for making many impressions of the same coins1 would be a bit different1 and thus cause slight differences in the coins themselves1 and that would be making things easy for forgers1 whereas coins well wrought in the way above described could be less easily copied4 ,but ,i must return to you1 dear reader1 where ,i left off above1 with the pila stuck in the lead4 ,take your madre or punches1 and since it almost always is a prince's head that is cut into the pila1 set to with the first piece of your combination1 and1 fitting each into its place1 strike it a blow with the hammer1 and lift hand and tool up as smartly and rapidly as you brought them down1 for if the madre shift1 even but ever so slightly1 it will tend to blurr your work4 ,in like manner add the limbs and the heads of your figures in such wise as your craft and your experience shall teach you1 and so on similarly any other things1 coats of arms1 devices1 beautiful alphabets1 the beading for the coins' border1 till all are well fashioned in both pila and torsello4 ,and since ,i should omit nothing for your better guidance1 know that the hammer needful for stamping in the larger madre1 such for instance as a head would need1 ought to weigh about #d lbs41 while those requisite for the smaller punches may weigh less2 those for the smallest of all--for the beading for instance--may be very tiny--each according6 ,when the sinking by both pila and torsello is completed1 set to and file off the superfluous margin right up to your border of beading4 ,see that it is strongly blunted#hh where you have filed it towards the beading1 for without this your die would spoil and quickly perish1 but where it is blunted it will not spoil4 ,then set to and temper your steel2#hi to this end you heat it1 and let it glow1 neither too much nor too little1 but just sufficient to temper it aright4 ,and forasmuch as in the tempering a film is formed that would tend to spoil your fair impression1 you must take great care to prevent it4 ,as we say in the craft1 the dies should be rosso appunto1 to the point of redness1 neither more nor less2 and to make them so you do this4 ,you take some clean iron scale#ij and place it on a board and then rub pila and torsello alike on this until they are thoroughly bright1 and the film quite gone from them1 and in the same manner may you afterwards brighten your coins4 ,and--another little hint--you clean out the deeper parts of your dies with pieces of pointed cork tipped with iron scale1 then everything is done you can give your dies to the stamper1 at the mint4 ,i must not forget to tell you1 as ,i promised1 how it was that the ancients never turned their coins out as well as we2 the reason of it was because they cut their dies out direct with goldsmith's tools1 gravers1 chisels1 punches1 that was very difficult for them to do1 especially as the mints needed a large number of these dies--pile and torselli4 ,i need give you but one instance of what ,i mean1 gentle reader1 and you will see how right ,i am4 ,on one occasion when ,i was making the dies for ,pope ,clement in ,rome1 ,i had to turn out thirty of these iron pile and torselli in one day2 had ,i gone to work in the manner of the ancients1 ,i could not have produced two1 nor would they have been as good4 ,thus it was that the ancients had to employ a large number of die cutters1 and these could never do their work as well as they wished to do it1 having never attained our facility4 ,but now will ,i tell you of medals which the ancients made superlatively well2 whatever ,i may have omitted in dealing with coins ,i will make up for in treating of medals1 so that you shall learn all in listening to both4 ,,footnotes3 #gi ,see the #8,vita1' ,symonds1 ,book ,i41 xlii4 #hj ,terribilissimi popolani4 #ha ,e ricci del ,duca ,alexandro4 #hb ,meaning in the way ,cellini describes them4 #hc ,terra di bolo ,armenio3 red earth that was and is used in gilding grounds1 c4 #hd ,ricuocano4 #he ,cellini's method of hardening differs from that of ,theophilus2 the latter in describing the tempering of files1 ,book ,,iii1 ,chapter xvii41 practically employs animal charcoal to case-harden his metal4 #hf ,cellini uses the words #8stampare' and #8intagliare' in their generic as well as their specific sense4 #hg ,what we should call engraved punches4 #hh ,bolso forte4 ,this might be3 #8strongly backed1' i4e41 the reverse of undercut4 #hi ,cellini's description is not very clear2 see note1 pp4 #fh #gd4 #ij ,scaglia3 perhaps fine oxide of iron4 ,professor ,roberts-,austen suggests that this may have been what is now called #8rouge4' ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,about ,,medals4 ,in dealing with these beautiful things ,i will first explain to you the method adopted by the ancients and then tell you how we are wont to go to work nowadays4 ,as far as we can gather from the methods of this art1 it appears that in the days when the art of making medals commenced to flourish in ,egypt1 ,greece1 and ,rome1 the rulers put the impressions of their heads on one side and on the other some record of the great deeds they had done4 ,what strikes us professionals1 however1 who look deeper into the matter1 is the variety of medals struck for each emperor by a number of different masters4 ,and the reason of this is that when a new ruler was elected all the masters of the craft of medal stamping in his dominions1 and especially those in his immediate residence1 struck a medal for the occasion1 the prince's head on one side1 and on the other some commemoration of one of his deeds of honour4 ,then all the many medals were shown to the prince1 and his ministers1 and to him whose work was pronounced the best was awarded the ,mastership of the ,mint1 or rather the making of the dies for the coins4 ,now as to their making4 ,the first thing to be done is to make a model in white wax of the head1 the reverse1 and whatever there may be1 to the exact size and relief of the final work1 for we know this was how the ancients did it4 ,the white model in wax is made as follows3 ,take a little pure white wax1 add to it half the quantity of well-ground white lead1 a little very clean turps4 ,it depends on the time of the year as to whether you put much or little turps1 winter requiring half as much again as summer4 ,with wooden sticks#ia it is worked on a surface of stone1 bone1 or black glass1 thereupon--for the ancients and the moderns are at one here--it is made in the gesso just as the cardinals' seals were1 of which ,i erewhile told you4 ,then you take what are called the taselli1 or iron implements used for stamping medals1 just as in the case of the pile and torselli you used for stamping coins2 only in this case they are made alike and not dissimilar like the latter4 ,there is a further difference too1 and this you must be careful about2 whereas the latter were made of steel and iron1 the former are of well-chosen steel and four-cornered in shape and the one just like the other4 ,after you have softened them in the fire in the same way as ,i showed you above with coins1 you smooth and polish#ib them very carefully with soft stones and mark out the size of your medal1 the beading1 the place for the inscription so forth1 with just such immovable compasses as you used before4 ,after this you begin to work with your chisels ever so carefully1 cutting away the steel in order to round off the form of the head in just such manner as you have it in your gesso model4 ,and in this manner1 little by little1 you hollow it out with your tools1 but using the punches#ic as little as possible1 because they would harden the steel and you would not be able to remove it with your cutting tools4 ,this was the way in which the ancients1 with their wonted diligence and patience1 went to work2 in the same way1 using the chisels and the gravers1 did they engrave their letters1 and thus it comes about that on no ancient medal have ,i seen really good letters1 though some are better than others4 ,so much for the methods of the ancients4 ,now for another of our practical instances1 gentle reader1 always as ,i have promised you1 something from my own hand4 ,it was a medal for ,pope ,clement ,,vii41 and it had two reverses4 ,on the front was the head of his ,holiness1 on the reverse side was the subject of ,moses with his folk in the desert at the time of the scarcity of water4 ,god comes to their help1 bidding ,aaron1 ,moses' brother1 strike the rock with his staff1 from which the living water springs4 ,i made it just full of camels and horses1 and ever so many animals and crowds of people1 and the little legend across it #8,ut bibat populus4' ,an alternative reverse bore the figure of peace1 a lovely maiden with a torch in her hand burning a pile of weapons1 at the side the temple of ,janus with a ,fury bound to it1 and the legend around of #8,claudunter belli portae4' ,the dies for these medals ,i prepared#id with the madre1 of which ,i told you above1 and the punches1 using them first in the same way as ,i did with the coins4 ,but ,i must remind you how ,i said that the dies for the coins were not to be worked on with cutting instruments1 gravers and so forth2 here1 with the medals1 the contrary holds good1 as soon as you have done what you can with your madre and the various little punches that go with it1 you must needs finish the work ever so carefully with chisels and gravers4 ,the letters are stamped in with steel punches1 just as was the case with the coins4 ,you must take heed1 too1 while striking1 to fix your die on to a great block#ie of lead4 ,some1 when they strike coins1 have used hollowed wooden blocks#if for this purpose1 but this will not answer for medals1 as the dies have to be much deeper cut1 the relief of the medal being so much higher4 ,just in the same way as with the coins you will do well to make wax impressions from time to time1 while you are cutting1 to see how you are getting on4 ,likewise1 before you temper#ig the die1 make a few impressions on lead so as to see how the whole works together1 and to correct any mistakes4 ,when you are satisfied with the results1 set to with the tempering of the dies1 like you did for the coining4 ,don't1 however1 omit to have a pitcher containing about ten gallons#ih of water4 ,when your die is aglow1 grip it carefully with the tongs quickly dip it into the water1 and not holding it in one position but stirring it round1 always keeping it under water till it hisses no longer and becomes cold4 ,then take it out polish it up with powdered iron scale just as you did before with the coins4 ,,footnotes3 #ia ,fuscelletti4 #ib ,ispianera' gli4 #ic ,ceselletti da ammaccare4 #id ,this might be translated1 #8,i sank4' #ie ,tasello4 #if ,ceppi di legno bucati4 #ig ,perhaps3 #8harden' 7see pp4 #fh #gj74 ,i am indebted to ,prof4 ,roberts-,austen for the following note3 #8,this passage is amplified in the next chapter where the author treats of the hardening of medal dies4 ,he has shown that before working on the coin dies he has made them as soft as possible1 but before they could actually be used for striking coins they would need 8hardening0 8tempering40 ,hardening steel is effected by heating it to bright redness then quenching it in some fluid which will cool the metal with more or less rapidity1 cold water being usually employed for this purpose4 ,hence in this chapter ,cellini states that there must be ten gallons of cold water in which the hot die is quenched1 kept moving 7as in modern practice7 until it is cold4 8,tempering10 on the other hand1 to which he alludes here1 consists in reducing the hardness of the quenched steel by heating it to a moderate temperature much below redness4 ,usually the die would be 7in modern practice7 heated until a straw-coloured film forms on its surface4 ,probably such a film is contemplated by the author when he indicates the necessity for removing a film1 produced at the hardening stage1 by polishing with fine oxide of iron4' #ih ,the barila is about forty pints4 ,capt4 ,victor ,ward tells me about twenty ,florentine wine flasks4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,how ,,the ,,before-,,mentioned ,,medals ,,are ,,struck4 ,medals are struck in various ways4 ,i will speak first of the method called coniare#ii a term derived from this particular method of medal stamping1 and then ,i'll go on to the others of which ,i have also availed myself4 ,you make an iron frame#ajj about four fingers wide1 two fingers thick and half a cubit long1 and the open space within it should be exactly the size of the dies 7taselli7 on which your medals are cut in intaglio4 ,these dies you remember are square1 and they have to fit exactly square and equal into the frame so that they may be in no way moved in the striking of the medal4 ,before beginning the actual thing1 it is necessary first to strike a medal of lead of just the size you wish the gold or silver one to be4 ,you do it in the usual way1 taking the impression of it in caster's sand--you remember we spoke about it before--the same that all the founders use for the trappings of horses1 mules1 and brass work generally4 ,from this pattern medal you make your final casting#aja which you carefully clean up1 removing the rough edges#ajb with a file1 and after that polishing off all the file marks4 ,this done you place the cast medal between your dies 7taselli74 ,the medal1 in that it is already cast into its shape1 is more easily struck1 and the dies are for the same reason less used up in the process of striking4 ,when you have them in the middle of your frame1 the frame itself fixed firmly upright1 push them down into the frame at one end1 leaving a cavity of three fingers' space from the edge of it4 ,into this cavity fix two wedges of iron1#ajc or biette1 the thin ends of which are at least half the size of the thick ends and which in length are about twice the breadth of the frame4 ,then when you want to do the striking1 set them with their thin ends over your dies1 the point of the one set towards the other4#ajd ,then take two stout hammers1 and let your apprentice hold one at the head of one of the wedges1 and do you strike with the other hammer the opposite wedge three or four times1 very carefully alternating your blows first on one wedge1 then on the other4 ,the object of this is as a precaution to prevent the shifting facilitate the action of your dies#aje or the pieces of metal that are to form your medals4 ,then take your frame1 set the head of one of the wedges on a big stone strike the other head with a large hammer called in the craft mazzetta1 using both your hands4 ,this you repeat three or four times1 turning the frame round at every second stroke4 ,this done1 take out your medal4 ,if the medal be of bronze it will have been necessary to soften it first1#ajf for that is too hard a metal to strike straight off without heating2 and repeat this three or four times until you see that the impression is sharp4 ,true it is ,i could give you hundreds of little wrinkles yet1 but ,i don't intend to do it1 because ,i assume ,i am speaking to those who have some knowledge of the art1 and for those who haven't it would be dreadfully boring to listen4 ,so much for the method of striking medals that we call coniare4#ajg ,,footnotes3 #ii ,la qual dice coniare1 as distinct from the method he describes in ,chap4 xvii4 #ajj ,staffa4 #aja ,in questo modo ti conviene formarla1 egittarla agyrreso4 #ajb ,barette4 #ajc ,coni di ferro4 #ajd ,mettile sopra i tuoi taselli le punte dell'una e dell'altra1 le quali si vengano a sopraporre4 #aje ,ferri4 #ajf ,this may mean working the bronze hot1 but more probably softening by annealing4 #ajg ,the method described may be illustrated by the following diagram3 ,illustration3 ,diagram illustrating the coniare process of striking medals ,w ,,wedge ,d ,,die ,m ,,medal ,,frame ,,in ,,part ,,section4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,another ,,way ,,of ,,striking ,,medals ,,with ,,the ,,screw4 ,you make an iron frame of similar size thickness to the one described above1 but of sufficient length to enable it to hold not only the two dies1 taselli1 on which the medal is cut1 but also the female#ajh screw of bronze4 ,this screw is set beneath the male screw of iron2#aji one ought really to apply the term screw1 vite1 to this male screw only1 the female screw being called chiocciola4 ,the male screw should be three fingers thick and its threads#aaj square1 because it is stronger thus than of the usual shape4 ,the frame has to have a hole in the top of it to admit of the screw passing through it4 ,when you have placed your dies1 taselli1 beneath the screw1 with the metal you propose to strike between them1 you tighten them up by the insertion of iron wedges#aaa so that they cannot possibly shift4 ,you will find this necessary owing to the greater size of the bronze screw4#aab ,then having prepared a piece of beam about two cubits long1 or more1 you fix an iron rod of sufficient thickness and of about two cubits in length to the lower end of it1 and it must fit into the beam2#aac then fix your frame into a cutting in the head of the beam made exactly to hold it4 ,it is necessary1 too1 to bind the beam round with stout iron bands to give it strength at the place where the frame is set in1 and to prevent it from splitting4 ,round the head of the screw must then be fitted a stout iron ring with two loops to it1 these have to be made to hold a long iron rod or bar1#aad say six cubits in length1 so that four men can work at it1 and bring their force to play upon your dies and the medal you are striking4 ,in this method ,i struck about one hundred of the medals ,i made for ,pope ,clement2 they were done in the purest bronze without any casting1 which1 as ,i told above1 is necessary for the process called coniare4 ,i advise every artist to note well this method of striking with the screw1 for1 though it be more expensive1 the impressions are better1 and the dies not so soon worn out4 ,of the gold and silver medals ,i struck many straight off without softening8 them first2 as for the cost1 perhaps after all it only appears greater1 for whereas in the method of striking with the screw#aae two turns of the screw will complete the medal1 in the method of striking in the coniare process at least one hundred blows with the stamps are necessary before you get the desired result4 ,illustration3 ,diagram illustrating the process of striking medals with the screw ,d4 ,,die ,m4 ,,medal ,,at #8,a' ,,would ,,come ,,the ,,female ,,screw1 ,,and ,,the ,,wedges ,,would ,,come ,,at ,,the ,,sides ,,of ,,the ,,dies4 ,,footnotes3 #ajh ,la vite femmina4 #aji ,il mastio di ferro3 i4e41 so that the male screw can fit into it4 #aaj ,pani4 #aaa ,biette4 #aab ,gli e di necessita che per la grandezza della chiocciola di bronzo1 la quale ha da essere fatte in modo che la non balli nella staffa4 #aac ,a quella si attacca nella testa di sotto un pezza di corrente 444 e bisogna che sia commesso in nella testa di sotto nella detta trave4 #aad ,cio a un lungo corrente4 ,i give on the next page a diagram of what the upper portion of this machinery was probably like4 ,or it may be as ,prof4 ,roberts-,austen shows it in the drawing in his ,cantor ,lecture on ,alloys1 ,society of ,arts ,journal1 ,march-,april1 #ahhd4 #aae ,colpi di conio4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,how ,,to ,,work ,,in ,,large ,,ware1 ,,in ,,gold ,,and ,,silver ,,and ,,such ,,like4#aaf ,first will ,i speak of the methods ,i learnt in ,rome and then of those that are used in ,paris4 ,indeed ,i believe this city of ,paris to be the most wonderful city in the world1 and there they practise every branch of every art4 ,i spent four years of my life there in the service of the great ,king ,francis1 who gave me opportunities of working out not only in all the arts of which ,i have been telling you1 but also in the art of sculpture1 and of that too ,i shall speak in its proper place4 ,illustration3 ,diagram illustrating the process of casting silver ,c4 ,,clamps ,p4 ,,plate ,b4 ,,brick ,,footnotes3 #aaf ,cellini applies the term #8grosserie' to all large ware of whatever process as distinguished from #8minuterie4' ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,how ,,to ,,begin ,,making ,a ,,vase4 ,it is quite wonderful what a variety of different methods there are for making silver vases4 ,we might here begin with the casting of silver1 and then little by little get on to other subjects4 ,there are three ways of melting silver so that it shall not burn4#aag ,in the first you use the bellows1 constructing round their mouth a little brick furnace sufficient to quite cover the crucible1 even to be some four fingers above it2 then rub the crucible all over1 inside and out1 with olive oil2 put the silver into it place it on the furnace2 you should not have too many coals aglow at first for fear of cracking the crucible1 for that is apt to happen with the sudden heat1 but let it get gradually hotter and hotter1 without touching your bellows1 until it is red hot4 ,at this point you gently start blowing with the bellows4 ,after a while you will see the silver beginning to float like water2 then you strew a handful of tartar over it1 and while it stays a moment so1 take a piece of linen folded four or five times well soaked in oil1 to lay this over the crucible when you remove it from the coals4 ,then swiftly take hold of the crucible with your cramping tongs1#aah a pair of tongs made specially for catching hold of earthen crucibles1 for if you catch hold of these as you would of iron crucibles you would break them1 but these special tongs support the earthen crucible so that there is no danger of its breaking4 ,meanwhile1 the moulds for pouring silver in must be at hand2 these are made out of two iron plates of the requisite size and as occasion shall demand1 and beneath#aai them place a few square rods about the size of your little finger1 more or less1 as the work may need4 ,the plates are then bound together with stout iron clamps1 struck with a hammer till they grip the moulds equally all round4 ,of these clamps you need six or eight according to the size of the mould4 ,then you paint round the junction of the moulds with liquid clay so as to prevent the silver from coming through4#abj ,when your moulds are well warmed1 you pour a little oil into them1 and stand them in an earthen pot of spent ashes1 or even on the ground between four bricks1 and so pour in your silver4#aba ,that is one of the methods of casting4 ,,footnotes3 #aag ,non si riarda4 #aah ,imbracciatoie4 #aai #8,infra'3 should perhaps better be #8between4' #abj ,per cagione che lo argento non versi4 #aba ,the sketch on p4 #gi may be taken as illustrative of the process4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,another ,,and ,a ,,better ,,way ,,of ,,casting4 ,the ,florentine gold-beaters used to have another way of casting1 which was called casting in the mortar1#abb for so was the furnace called in which the casting was done4 ,you take a number of bands of clean iron#abc about half a finger thick and as broad as a thumb1 and weave them into a round shape1 about one one-third cubits high1 sometimes smaller1 sometimes larger than this in accordance with the quantity of the work you have to cast4 ,it must be interlaced into a domed shape to about two-thirds of its circumference1 and from the iron that remains over you make four legs on which the furnace is to stand4 ,note that where these legs commence you must make a grating1 the openings of which are wide enough to allow of one finger and a half being put through them1 this serves as a base for the furnace4 ,and the furnace itself you construct by means of fashioning a cake of earth mixed with cloth shearings1#abd the kind of earth that glass-blowers use for their furnaces4 ,then you take a terra cotta tile and lay it on the base of your furnace1 and strew a little ash over it4 ,on this you stand your crucible filled with as much silver as it can hold1 and set to work very carefully1 much as you did in the previous method4 ,you fill the furnace with coal1 light it and leave it to get red by itself1 for thus left1 the draught will produce a tremendous fire1 and you will cast better so than if you made fire with your bellows4 ,i must warn you too1 to make your crucibles out of clean iron1 for earthenware ones would easily crack2 this iron should however be coated over inside out with a paste of clean ashes about half a finger in thickness1 which must dry well before the silver is put in4 ,some take for this solution clay mixed with cloth parings1 the one is as good as the other4 ,for the rest you proceed with your casting just as ,i showed you above4 ,,footnotes3 #abb ,fondere nel ,mortaio3 perhaps better1 mortar casting4 #abc ,lame di ferro stietto4 #abd ,cimatura4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,yet ,,another ,,furnace4 ,,such ,a ,,one ,,as ,i ,,made ,,in ,,the ,,castle ,,of ,,st4 ,,angelo ,,at ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,the ,,sack ,,of ,,rome4 ,these kinds of furnaces are the best of all4 ,it was dire necessity that taught me how to make them1 because ,i had absolutely no means at hand for doing my work4 ,being in a confined place1 where ,i had to set about using my wits1 ,i made a virtue of necessity4 ,i broke the bricks out of a room1 with these bricks ,i set to work to construct a furnace in the form of a bake-oven4#abe ,the bricks were arranged alternately1 so that between every brick was an opening of about two fingers wide1 as ,i went on ,i narrowed them in upwards4#abf ,when ,i had raised it about a cubit's height from the ground1 ,i constructed#abg a grating of shovel handles and spears which ,i broke4 ,and from this point ,i continued building the furnace up and round to about one-and-a-quarter cubit's height1 narrowing it in towards the top4 ,then ,i found an iron ladle which they were by chance using in the kitchen1 as it was pretty big ,i caked it round with a paste of ash pounded clay1#abh and filled it with as much gold as it would contain1 and gave it the full fire straight off as there was no danger of the crucible cracking4 ,when the first lot was cast ,i filled it up again1 and so on1 till ,i had melted up about #ajj lbs4 of gold4 ,the whole thing went very easily1 and 'tis about the best and simplest method you can employ4 ,perhaps you think that ,i ought to go and give you a diagram of it all here in my book1 but ,i fancy that anyone who knows anything at all about the craft of founding will perfectly well understand by description4 ,so that's enough for furnaces4 ,,footnotes3 #abe ,fornello a foggia di una meta4 #abf ,e cosi lo andai ristringendo4 #abg ,io lo avevo congegnato drento di modo che4 #abh ,terra mescolata4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,how ,,to ,,fashion ,,vessels ,,of ,,gold ,,and ,,silver1 ,,likewise ,,figures ,,and ,,vases1 ,,all ,,that ,,pertains ,,to ,,that ,,branch ,,of ,,the ,,craft ,,called #8,,grosseria4' ,when the silver is cast in the manner described above1 in the first furnace1 it is as well to let it cool on the iron plates above mentioned because by so doing it contracts better4#abi ,when it is cold you clean off the rough edges from around it4 ,this done1 you make a scraper#acj about two-and-a-half fingers broad1 it should be blunted2 to it you attach a stick shaped with two handles1 and these are distant about half a cubit from the point of the scraper4 ,note that the scraper should be bent about three fingers1#aca and such as is used for sgraffito work1 graffiare4#acb ,with this scraper the silver plate is to be planed1 and in this wise3 ,you make your silver plate red hot place it on one of the iron plates you used for casting it on2 fastening it on tightly with certain iron tools used for nailing or fastening1#acc then setting the handle of the scraper to your shoulder with your two hands to the two handles that you fastened to it1 so that it comes to be in the form of a cross1 you pare off the surface of your silver plate with very firm pressure till it is thoroughly clean4#acd ,i won't omit to tell you of a method ,i once learnt4 ,whilst in ,paris ,i used to work on the largest kind of silver work that the craft admits of1 and the most difficult to boot4 ,i had in my employ many workmen1 and inasmuch as they very gladly learnt from me1 so ,i was not above learning from them2 the plates ,i planed with such diligence gave them cause for much marvelling2 but1 none the less1 one charming youth1 on whom ,i set great store1 said to me1 with the utmost modesty1 that in ,paris it was not customary to plane the plate in the way we did it1 and albeit our method seemed very clever1 he would undertake to produce the same result without all this planing1 and so gain much time4 ,to this ,i replied that ,i should only be too delighted to save any time2 so ,i gave him a pair of vases to do1 weighing #bj lbs4 a piece1 and my models for them4 ,before my very eyes the youth melted his silver in the way ,i told above1 cast it between his iron plates4 ,then he cleaned some of the edges off and set to right away to hammer it into shape give it its rotundity 7of which more anon7 without paring it in any way4 ,both vases he turned out in this way with great care and admirable technique4#ace ,it is just because in ,paris more work of this kind is done than in any other city of the world that the craftsmen1 from constant practice1 acquire such marvellous technical skill4 ,i should never have believed it had ,i not seen it for myself4 ,then1 at first1 ,i thought that it was the quality of silver that gave them a vantage1 because they work here with a finer quality of silver than anywhere else2 but my workman said no1 that silver of baser alloy would serve his purpose equally well4 ,i tried him and found that it was so4 ,from which ,i conclude1 therefore1 that a man can start straight away with shaping what he wants out of his silver without wasting needless time in planing it up first4 ,of course care has to be taken to remove certain little blemishes#acf from time to time4 ,i do not go so far as to say that it is bad to plane the metal first3 nay1 ,i have found either way good4 ,now let us consider how to make a vase in the shape of an egg4 ,i follow1 as always1 my promised method of giving you of my own creations for different princes great persons4 ,in ,rome ,i made1 among many other vases1 two big ones in the form of an egg each about a cubit high1 with lips and handles spreading out from the top4#acg ,one was for the ,bishop of ,salamanca1 a ,spaniard1 and the other for ,cardinal ,cibo2 both were elaborately ornamented with foliage and animals of various kinds4 ,these vases were called ewers1#ach and were used by the ,cardinals on their credence tables on occasions of state4 ,inasmuch as ,i made numbers of these for ,king ,francis1 in ,paris1 and as they were all larger and more richly wrought1 ,i shall draw my illustrations from them4 ,you take your plate trim off the rough edges1 plane it on both sides1 slightly round the edges off1#aci and forasmuch as the plates are cast in somewhat oblong shapes1 you beat them into a rounded shape with your hammer1 and this is how you do it3 you take your red hot plate1 not too red1 for then it would crack1#adj but sufficient1 ,i would say1 to burn certain little grains of powder or dust thrown on to it2 put it on the stake1 and you beat it very firmly with the thin end of the hammer from one angle to the other driving the metal well to the centre1#ada so that when all the four corners of your plate are done it will be marked somewhat the shape of a cross4#adb ,after this you reverse the process and work with the hammer outwards1 annealing the plate some four times1 till it is of such roundness as your good craftsman may see fit4 ,and when it is rounded into the shape of the vase you have in mind you must see that the measurement of the diameter of your plate exceeds that of the future vase by about three fingers1 and that the plate must be kept as thick as possible in the middle4 ,before you hit this size exactly you take an iron stake about a finger thick and six fingers long1 as blunt as possible so as not to pierce the plate1 this tool you put with its broad end on the anvil1 and you very carefully balance#adc your silver plate on the point of the stake until it stands steady by its own weight4 ,when the point is fixed1 get one of your handy lads to strike it with the broad end of the hammer so that it makes a mark in the plate4 ,i have no doubt there are masters who can find the centre point straight away without having recourse to this little dodge1 especially when working on small plates1 but for large pieces ,i have always found it very helpful4 ,after this you turn the plate round again on the anvil strike it in the same manner on the stake till the point1 which so far was only indicated1 is now boldly marked4 ,then you take your compasses strike a circle which will show you how far your outline is out1 and so on1 hammering the silver in conformity with it by repeated heating and beating4 ,all the while you have to be very careful not to lose your centre point1 and to beat the silver out1 as ,i said before1 so that the diameter of the plate exceeds that of the future vase by some three fingers4 ,applying your compasses again1 you strike a series of concentric circles about a half a finger apart from each other1 starting from the centre of the cup4 ,then you take a kind of hammer about one finger thick at the narrow end1 and one-and-a-half at the broad end2 this hammer is battered and rounded off#add into somewhat the shape of the fleshy part of a finger1 and with it you begin beating in the middle of the plate1 at the centre point in fact1 being careful always not to lose the point4 ,the movement of the hammer should be in the form of a spiral1#ade and follow the concentric circles2 you take turn about in beating and heating in this manner till you see the silver grow into the shape of a hat1 or at least its crown1#adf thus approximating to the form of your vase4 ,the thing to observe is that the metal should spread equally all round1 for if it gives more on one side than the other it would be uneven2 and in this way you draw it inwards till it is as deep as the body of your model requires4 ,then with various different stakes1 each adapted specially to the form you are at work on1 you beat1 now with the broad1 now with the narrow end of the hammer1 and right into the body of your vase till it is equally bellied all round2 and when this has all been very carefully done1 always working on the stakes--some of which are called #8cows' tongues'#adg because of their shape--you work up the neck of the vase to the necessary height1 and similarly on other stakes specially curved for the purpose1 you little by little narrow out the neck4 ,any little imperfections#adh on the surface you remove as you go on1 and so finally see the neck of the vase take the perfect shape you wish it to have4 ,when you have thus finished the neck1 you can begin to work the bas-relief on the body of the vase2 like a vase1 for instance1 that ,i made for ,king ,francis1#adi it was one among many1 but it was the finest of the lot4 ,i filled it with black pitch made in the manner ,i described to you before1 then ,i divided out the body of the vase for the figures1 animals leaves1 which ,i drew on it with a stylus of burnished steel4 ,this done1 ,i drew them over again with pen ink1 using all the delicacy that good drawing requires4 ,then ,i took my punches1 these are of iron1 about the length of a finger and about the thickness of a goose's quill4 ,they are all shaped in different ways1 some are fashioned like a ,c1 beginning with a small c1 and ending with a large one1#aej some are bent more1 some less1 and some are almost quite straight4#aea ,others1 again1 are greater1 diminishing from the size of a man's thumb to six different smaller sizes1 and all these selections you ought to have4 ,with them1 and with a hammer weighing some three or four ounces1 and striking most dexterously1 you beat into relief whatever you have designed4 ,then you place your vase on a slow fire and melt out the pitch4 ,after this you heat the vase once more and clean it with a solution of tartar and salt1 in equal proportions as ,i described above4 ,when the vase is quite clean you employ a set of iron tools like stakes and with long horns1#aeb technically termed caccianfuori1 #8snarling irons'3 they are made of pure iron1 long or short as the case may be1 and as the work may need4 ,these caccianfuori have to be fastened into the anvil stock1#aec then you put one of the horns into the vase1 so that the point of the horn1 which should be in shape and rounded like your little finger1 is applied to the inside of the vase1 to the parts you want to beat out2 and you very gently strike the other end of it with the hammer so that the blow passing to the end of the horn adjoining the body of the vase1 bosses up the silver from within at such points as your learned and cunning master may deem well4 ,when this process has been applied to all the figures1 animals1 and foliage1 you heat and cleanse the vase once more1 once more fill it with pitch1 and with other sorts of punches1 similar in all respects to the first1 but having their ends shaped like beans1 and large or small as the case may be1 you begin the bossing again4 ,each master uses his own particular punches1 all have their own little ways of working1 but all have this in common that the punches do not cut but only press the metal4 ,the process of melting out re-applying the pitch may now be repeated two or three times as may be thought necessary1 till you have got your figures and foliage to the highest point of workmanship1 then melt it out for the last time4 ,after this you may proceed to fashion in wax whatever graces may have place at lip or handle1 improving on the model or design with which you started4 ,these finished1 you can make them in all sorts of different ways1 ways so many1 that they were wearisome to recount4 ,the easiest of these was the one ,i usually employed1 and particularly in the vase ,i made for ,king ,francis4#aed ,i took earth1 such as the makers of artillery use1 dried it and sifted it well1 then ,i mixed it with fine cloth shearings and a little cows' dung sifted through a sieve1 then ,i beat it all well together4 ,after this ,i took some tripoli1 such as jewellers use to polish their gems with1 pounded it up very fine made from it a pigment as for painting1 streaking it over the wax ornaments4 ,this ,i also did to the inlet holes and vent channels after ,i had duly affixed them to the models4 ,i always took care to fix these vent holes down below1 and pass them upwards1 but at such distance from the inlet channel that none of the silver should spill into them1 and thus prevent them doing their work4 ,when ,i had applied the first coat of tripoli ,i let it dry4 ,then ,i took the clay of which ,i told you before coated the work over to the thickness of a knife's back1 letting it dry again1 and repeating this process1 till the different coats were about a finger thick4 ,then ,i bound it all round with iron bands as many as it could hold1 over these iron bands ,i put more coats of clay1 this time mixed up with rather more cloth shearings than ,i had used previously1 applied another coat again of a knife's back thickness4 ,then ,i applied the whole to a slow fire1 holding the vent holes downwards1 and so gradually melted out the wax1 which ,i caught in a little receptacle down beneath4 ,one has to be very careful not to have the fire too hot1 for that would make the wax bubble1 and so damage the mould within4 ,when the wax is quite melted out1 you remove the mould from where it is attached to the vase1 clean it carefully of all wax1 and close up the place where it is attached to the vase with the same earth that is used above4 ,this done1 you bind the whole thing round again with fine bands of iron wire1 cover it up completely with a further coating of the tripoli mixture4 ,then you heat it on charcoal1 firing it and the charcoal together in a brick furnace2 and mind to get it well baked1 for this kind of earth differs from others1 in that it should all be fired at one turn4 ,meantime1 have your silver ready for casting1 or ,i would say molten1 and while this is in progress put your mould into a large receptacle filled with sand1 which should be moist1 not wet2 fix it in well as do the casters of artillery into their troughs1 but with the greater delicacy that the handling of lighter metal requires4#aee ,when your silver is well molten1 throw finely powdered tartar over it to keep it fresh4 ,then take a piece of linen1 the size of the crucible1 folded into four and soaked with olive oil1 and spread it over the tartar that covers the silver2 and grip the crucible with the tongs called imbracciatoie4 ,you ought to have many kinds of these1 small1 medium1 great1 and adaptable to the quantity of silver you have to melt2 they hold the crucible together and prevent it breaking--that happened to me many a time4 ,just as you've got your silver nicely molten and are pouring it into the mould1 crack goes your crucible1 and all your work and time and pains are lost6 ,take note therefore of this1 while pouring your silver into the mould1 let one of your assistants hold the linen rag from slipping from the crucible1 for by so holding the rag on1 it has two good results2 it keeps the silver warm and it prevents the little bits of coal from falling into the mould4 ,this also you may take note of3 if you have little masks and such-like conceits to apply to your vase1 when you have fashioned them all carefully in wax and taken them off the vase having made moulds of them as above described1 you lay in the hollow of the moulds a coating of wax1 a thin knife's back more or less in thickness1 or of such thickness as you wish your mask to be4 ,this coating you spread equally all over4 ,in the craft it is called the lasagna4 ,when you have fixed on to it the inlet channel the vent holes--just as ,i told you above1 the latter fixed at the bottom turning to the top--you fill in the whole with the clay1 bind around with wire1 and cast in the same way as before4#aef ,this method you can employ in the handles the feet of your vase1 where you find the hammer difficult to work with1 and ,i counsel you in working large vases always to employ this method of casting4 ,,footnotes3 #abi ,meglio e' si condensa4 #acj ,rasoio3 literally #8a razor4' #aca ,vuole essere piegato tre dite3 perhaps1 #8inclined4' #acb ,this may mean only hatching or cutting generally4 #acc ,conficcare o congegnare4 #acd ,mr4 ,heywood ,summer tells me that the tool here described is not used in modern sgraffito work2 it would by the description1 however1 be something like the diagram here shown4 ,illustration3 ,diagram illustrating the rasoio for paring metal #ace ,pratica4 #acf ,sfogliette3 probably little surface scalings of the metal4 #acg ,strette di sopra4 #ach ,aquereccie4 #aci ,alquanto scantonato un poco4 #adj ,spezzerebbe4 #ada ,e far che l'entri bene4 #adb ,verr ferito in riscontro di croce4 #adc ,si congegna4 #add ,scantonato e tonda4 #ade ,chioccola4 ,we had the word above as applied to the female screw4 #adf ,coppa4 #adg ,lingua di vacca4 #adh ,sfogliettina4 #adi ,see #8,vita1' p4 #cba4 #aej ,what our metal workers call semi-ring tools4 #aea ,curved chasers4 #aeb ,con le corne lunghe4 #aec ,brinckman translates1 #8a vice4' #aed ,this is the ordinary #8cire perdue' process4 #aee i4e41 smaller work4 #aef ,this is probably what we should call a cored casting4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,another ,,method ,,for ,,gold ,,and ,,silver ,,in ,,such ,,things4 ,let us take another method of casting similar to the last2 ,i have tried it often and found it splendid2 'tis this3 ,you take some fresh1 finely powdered and ground gesso1 and you grind in like manner1 mix with it1 a little brick dust1 two-thirds of the latter to one-third of the former4 ,mix them well together with clean cold water into a paste2 then take a hog sable1 working with its softest part1 paint over your wax model as you did before with the clay4 ,this time you put it all on at one go1 because as you gradually paint along with your brush1 the gesso as gradually sets1#aeg so that you can soon lay it on to a finger's thickness with a wooden spoon4 ,then you bind the mould with fine well-tempered iron wire1 weaving it all round1 in and across1 and1 taking the thick rest of your gesso that has not been passed through the sieve1 you moisten it with a little water cake it on to the mould as before1 to the thickness of a knife's back1 till all the iron wire is well covered over4 ,of course1 the larger your mould is the larger must this shell of gesso also be proportionately4 ,you will do well1 too1 unless pressed for time in finishing your work1 to let the gesso dry a bit in the sun or in a warm and smoky corner1 so that all the moisture leaves it4 ,then you put it over a slow fire and melt out the wax as you did in the former process2 let the fire grow greater when the wax has all melted out1 bake the mould just as you did before with the earthen mould4 ,this is a good and an expeditious way to work in1 and very useful if you want to finish anything quickly4 ,,footnotes3 #aeg ,rappigliare4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,a ,,third ,,method ,,for ,,similar ,,things4 ,in the third method the wax models are cut into small pieces1 powdered and moulded in clay1 and set in the troughs as described above4 ,when the moulds are made1 with due observance to the undercutting 7,i say this advisedly71 lead castings are made from them1 and these as well cleaned and worked up as the master may be minded2 then they are cast in silver in the same troughs as ,i told you before4 ,this is a particularly good way1 because when the master has his lead model and has finished it up to suit his purpose1 it can serve ever so many more times than a single casting4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,of ,,figures ,,made ,,in ,,silver ,,greater ,,than ,,life ,,size4 ,now as to the way of making a great statue of silver2 and when ,i say a great statue ,i mean as big as a live man or bigger4 ,statues of one-and-a-half cubits high ,i have of course seen plenty of in ,rome on the altar of ,st4 ,peter's1 and albeit the making of these is pretty difficult and many excellent masters employ on them much admirable work1 still these smaller statues present no great difficulties in the way of soldering1 because they can be handled in the furnace entire2 moreover they are made of thinner plates#aeh of silver than the large ones4 ,the actual process of both is much the same1 but the large ones are so much harder to manage that ,i for my part have never seen any that were presentable4 ,according to my promise of giving you some practical example either of work ,i have seen of others or of my own making1 ,i'll tell you the following4 ,the ,emperor ,charles ,v4 was passing through ,france in the time of ,francis ,i41 for the great war had ended1 and ,francis1 my glorious king1 among the other wonderful presents he had given to the ,emperor1 gave him a silver statue of a ,hercules with two columns1 which was about three and a half cubits high4 ,you remember how ,i described above the beauty of all the things made in that great city of ,paris--well1 ,i have never seen anywhere else in the world such perfect hammer work as in that city1 but with all their technique 7in the methods of embossing7 not even the best masters were able to give to that statue either grace1 beauty or style2#aei and for the simple reason that they did not know how to solder properly1 and so had to stick on the legs and the head and the arms by means of fastening#afj them with silver wire4 ,now ,king ,francis wanted to have eleven statues like this made1 and he complained to me that those men of his had not been able to undertake such a job1 and he asked me if it lay in the art to do it if ,i saw my way through4 ,i replied that most assuredly did ,i see my way through1 that ,i could do these things much better than talk about them1 and that when done they would be one hundred times finer than was anticipated4 ,and this was the way in which ,i began explaining it to that great king1 and quoth ,i3 #8,there are many different ways of doing the thing each master chooses the method to which his technical excellence or his fancy guides him4 ,first of all you make a statue in clay of the size you want your silver statue to be1 then you make a gesso mould of it in many pieces1 and this is the way3 ,the whole breast to the middle of the ribs at the sides1 to the juncture of the throat above the legs at the groining below1 forms one piece4 ,the next piece comprises the back from the juncture of the neck and contains the shoulders and down to the buttocks4 ,these are the two main pieces4 ,in like manner must the arms1 legs1 and head all be formed into two pieces4 ,and because the undercuttings would impede the removal of the pieces1 these are filled up with wax4 ,the gesso moulds are then respectively cast in bronze4 ,and you have your sheet of silver handy of such size as may be deemed expedient by the skilful master1 commence to hammer it over the bronze with wooden hammers1 carefully rounding the silver over the various forms2 by means of frequent annealing these forms come to be beautifully covered4 ,the discreet and cunning master in order to just connect separate pieces together#afa applies a few additional hammer strokes to their edges1 and expands them to about two knife backs one over the other4 ,these edges he cuts into jags about two fingers apart with a pair of scissors1 fits the one into the other1 and with nice judgment tightens them with a hammer1 holding them over a round stake1 or some other piece of iron as shall hinder the hammer from indenting the silver where it has nothing to back it4 ,in this way all the pieces are done1 first the body1 then the legs1 arms and head4 ,after this they are filled with pitch1 and wrought over with hammer punches to an exact likeness with the original clay model1 finally soldered together into one4' ,when ,i had delivered myself of these words to the ,king1 he said it was all so clear he had understood it all so well that he very nearly thought he would himself be able to undertake such work4 ,then ,i told his ,majesty that there were other methods which a master thoroughly conversant with his craft might employ1 and that these methods were really easier in execution though they seemed harder of explanation4 ,whereupon his ,majesty retorted that verily he was a great lover of genius1#afb that ,i had spoken so convincingly of the first that he would willingly take my word for the other4 ,one of them was as follows3 when ,i had cast the ,king's silver into sheets in the way ,i told above1 and had my clay model of the subsequent size of the silver ready completed1 ,i went straight at the job1 with sheer ability of hammer work#afc together with my general skill of craftsmanship1 striking from front and from back in whatever way the art demanded4 ,by this method ,i got through much quicker than the first4 ,arms1 legs and body ,i hammered out in separate pieces1 and the head in one whole piece just as it were a vase1 in the manner ,i told of once before4 ,when ,i had given them all their shape ,i soldered fitted them together as before4 ,the solder ,i used was ottavo1 that is a solder composed of one-eighth part of an ounce of copper to one of silver4 ,to do the soldering ,i had fixed to the tube of my big bellows several channels of such length as ,i deemed necessary for the purpose of blowing from below on the beds of coal that ,i had placed under the back of my work4 ,when this and the coal was aglow1 that is1 of a golden colour1 ,i blew the bellows on it gradually and made the solder run1 and ,i kept on with this1 now applying it from above1 now from below1 wherever ,i thought it necessary1 and going from point to point4#afd ,i have said nothing about borax1 for it stands to reason1 as anyone who knows anything about his business is aware1 that no soldering can be done without it4 ,if it turn out that1 owing to the length of the pieces1 some of them are not completely soldered and that fresh solder and borax is needed1 ,i used instead of water to take a bit of tallow candle in order not to have to cool the whole of my large piece1 on this ointment ,i put my new solder and borax1 and this had the same effect as the water4 ,thus did ,i solder all the different members1 head1 arms1 feet1 each for itself1 filled them with pitch1 with my punches gave the last finish but one#afe to my work4 ,then came the job of soldering the big pieces together1 that was where those great ,french experts failed4 ,i built in the middle of one of my large rooms--and ,i mean exactly in the middle--a little wall about one cubit from the ground1 four cubits long1 and one-and-a-half wide2 and after fitting the parts to the body ,i bound them on with silver wire instead of iron wire which is usually employed1 and in this way1 doing three fingers' width at a time1 and not without the greatest difficulty1 ,i bound the two legs to the body4 ,then ,i laid it on the wall over a good fire1 and applied quinto to it1 i4e41 solder composed of one-fifth of an ounce of copper to one of silver--,i say copper not bronze1#aff because copper is easier to treat with the punches and holds better1 albeit it does not run quite so easily4 ,as ,i worked with eleven-and-a-half silver to half copper#afg ,i had nothing to fear as far as the latter was concerned2 ,i would have everyone aware that if he wish to make his job succeed he must not employ inferior silver4 ,when my work lay in position ,i began1 with four of my young men1 to blow the fire with the aid of fans and hand-bellows until ,i saw the solder run1 when ,i every now and then sprinkled a little soft ash over it1 for if one were to use water instead of ash1 one would not be able to add fresh solder where the old has run imperfectly4 ,in this manner1 following just the method ,i have described1 ,i happily succeeded in soldering the whole piece with breast1 legs1 arms1 head2 ere ever a piece cooled ,i managed to solder it on2 the whole thing succeeded most admirably1 was just lovely6 ,so the entire statue1 which was about four cubits high1 was lifted off the fire all soldered2 ,i cleaned it up with the tools for cleaning1 which ,i described before1 filled it with pitch1 and gave it the final polish with the punches4 ,then ,i fixed it on a base of bronze1 the latter about two-thirds of a cubit high1 with sundry little subjects in bas-relief gilded and beautifully executed4 ,the statue in question was a figure of ,jupiter#afh holding the lightning bolt in his right hand1 and from the lightning a torch was kindled2 in his left he held a ball to symbolise the world4 ,round the head and the feet was abundance of ornamental detail2 all this was admirably gilded1 the which was most difficult to do4 ,nor will ,i omit to tell how ,i cleaned#afi up the silver of so large a piece of work1 albeit ,i have already described to you the process of cleaning silver1 for there were exceptional difficulties in this case4 ,i did it thuswise3 ,i went to the shop of a dyer of woollen cloth and got one of his big vessels1#agj large enough to put my figure in1 which1 as ,i said1 was about four cubits high1 and weighed about #cjj lbs42 then ,i took four iron rods1 each about four cubits long1 and four chestnut staves1 somewhat longer than the iron rods4 ,when the figure was carefully cleaned of its solder1 and made smooth and polished and carefully pumiced over1 we lifted it with the four iron rods on to a big bed of coal spread out on the ground1 and large enough to hold the figure4 ,this we did not do1 however1 till the coals were burnt out1 had lost their vigour1 and were well spent2 then we covered the figure all over1 shovelling the embers upon it1 a very tiring job this1 as you may imagine1 because of the heat and fume of the embers4 ,we went on shovelling them about over the statue wherever the need was1 till the whole piece was of an equal red heat all over4 ,then we raised it with the four iron rods1 let it cool1 and when it was cold had ready our vessel#aga with the blanching solution1#agb that is to say1 water with tartar and salt composed as ,i described to you above1 and into it we placed the figure by means of the four wooden staves1 for the solution must not be touched by iron4 ,when inside we stirred it about and scrubbed it all over with certain big hog sable brushes much like those used for whitening walls objects of similar size4 ,when we saw it getting white1 we took it with great care out of this vessel and put it into another similar one1 but filled with pure water1 here we carefully washed all the blanching solution off it4 ,then we poured off the water and dried it very carefully2 after which we set to gilding whatever parts had to be gilded4 ,though the gilding of this statue was a much harder job than you can possibly imagine1 ,i do not intend here to enter into those difficulties of detail1 but will confine myself to saying a word or two about gilding in general4 ,forsooth1 it is a beautiful and marvellous craft this1 it well becomes your big masters to know of it1 so that they may guide such as practise professionally4 ,i knew many1 both in ,france and in ,rome1 who applied themselves only to gilding4 ,but none the less ,i say that great masters ought not to practise this themselves1 for the quicksilver that has to be used for it is a deadly#agc poison1 and so wears out the men that practise in it that they live but a few years4 ,,footnotes3 #aeh ,lamine4 #aei ,from the point of view of the ,italian cinquecento ,master it would be correct thus to render the word #8arte' in this context4 #afj #8,legar la' ,brinckman translates #8rivetting4' #afa ,i am not sure whether this gives the right shade of meaning to #8attestarsi1' but ,i follow ,brinckman4 #afb ,virt4 #afc ,virt del martello4 #afd ,e nulla spequevo1 etc4 ,i take this to mean that he moved the heat of the flame about and about from point to point4 #afe ,penultima mana4 #aff ,ottone4 ,cellini would have used the pure copper1 not any alloy1 for this purpose4 #afg ,argento di undici leghe e mezzo4 ,twelve being quite pure1 this would give about as little alloying metal as will work well4 #afh ,see references to this in the #8,vita1' p4 #ade1 and elsewhere4 #afi ,bianchire4 #agj ,caldare4 #aga ,caldare4 #agb ,bianchimento4 #agc ,smisurato3 ,cellini refers to the fumes4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,how ,,to ,,gild4 ,when you want to gild you take the purest1 cleanest1 #bd carat gold1 you beat it out with clean hammers on an anvil1 until you get it to the thinness of a sheet of writing paper4 ,then you cut up as much as you want into small pieces4 ,after this you take a new crucible never yet used such as goldsmiths melt silver and gold in1 and into it you put so much quicksilver1 free from all impurities1 as may be needed for the gold you want to employ4 ,the proportion is at the rate of one ounce to a scudi's weight1 that is to say1 one part of gold to eight parts of quicksilver1 rather less than more of the latter4 ,note that you should first mix together the quicksilver and the gold in a clean vessel of earth or wood1 and you put the crucible on a fire of glowing embers1 but not using the bellows4 ,when the crucible is red you throw into it some of the mixed quicksilver and gold1 hold it over the fire1 and with a glowing ember gripped in a pair of tongs stir it thoroughly together4 ,your eye the feel of your hand will tell you whether the gold be dissolved and united with the quicksilver4 ,great care has to be taken to aid the solution by rapid stirring1 for if you hold it too long1 the gold1 or rather the amalgam will get too thick2 if1 on the other hand1 you hold it on too short a time1 it will be too thin1 and the gold not well mixed4 ,the great care which this requires can only be got by practice4 ,when it is all mixed dissolved1 everything done in the manner described1 you take the hot mixture pour it into a little beaker or vase in accord with the amount of the gold you have mixed1 and this vase is filled with water1 so that you hear it hissing when you pour the mixture in4 ,then you wash it thus two or three times in other clean water1 till finally your water is quite clean and pure1 and then you set about the actual gilding as follows4 ,wherever you want to gild on your work you have to get it well polished scratch-brushed1#agd for so it is called in the craft4 ,these scratch-brushes are made of brass wire about as thick as thread#age done up into bundles about as thick as a man's finger1 more or less1 in accordance with the size of the work you want to scrub1 tied round with brass or copper wire4 ,of course you can buy these brushes at a grocer's1 but there they are usually sold only of one size2 so that your skilled workman if he wants to do his work well1 and has a large piece to do1 binds up his own brushes himself according to the size he wants4 ,after the scrubbing1 you put the amalgam on with an avvivatoio1#agf for so we call the little rod of copper set in a wooden handle1 much the same size and length as a table fork2 here1 again1 the size accords with the requirements of your work4 ,carefully then do you proceed to spread the amalgam over the places you want to gild4 ,true it is that some have put quicksilver on first1 and then spread the amalgam after1 but this is not a good method1 for too much mercury dulls the colour and the beauty of the gold4 ,others1 again1 have thought to do better by putting the gold on in successive times4 ,this ,i have likewise seen done1 but have come to the conclusion that the best way is to put all the gold on at once that you want for your gilding1 and then heat it over a slow fire1 till all the quicksilver goes off in fumes4 ,if you notice that the gold on your work is not even1 you can1 while it is still warm1 very easily add on as much as may make it so1 till all is covered with gold4 ,then let it cool by itself4 ,i forgot to say in its proper place that if the gold won't stick on you will do well to have a little of the whitening water#agg of which ,i told you above1 and you dip your avvivatoio with the gold in this water1 if that still won't help you1 take a little aquafortis evaporated and weakened1 and there's no doubt that will do it4 ,,footnotes3 #agd ,grattapugiata4 #age ,refe di cucire4 #agf ,see #8,vita1' p4 #beb4 #agg ,bianchimento4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,a ,,recipe ,,for ,,making ,,colours ,,colouring ,,the ,,gilded ,,parts4 ,the first is colour for thin gilding4 ,you take equal proportions of sulphur1 tartar well-pounded1 and salt1 grinding them separately1 then you take half a part of cuccuma#agh and you mix them all four together4 ,when you have the gilded parts well cleaned scratch-brushed1 as ,i described above1 you take a little urine of children or boys1 put it tepid into a clean pipkin and apply it with hog sables1 and the virtue of the urine and the sables will remove any dirt or grease that may have come on the gold4 ,this done1 you get a copper cauldron1 or mayhap an earthen pot1 in one of the twain1 after filling it with boiling water1 you put your colour composition stir it well up with a rod or a bunch of twigs till it is thoroughly dissolved and mixed4 ,then you tie a bit of string1 long enough to hold it by1 on to the work1 and dangle it in for such time as one might say an ,ave ,maria2 after this you pull it out and dip it into a vase of clear cold water4 ,if it has not taken colour enough you put it back again into the hot water1 and so on for two or three times till it be sufficient1 minding1 however1 not to let it stay in over long or else it will turn black and spoil the gilding4 ,this colouring matter is the weakest one can make and can only be used for one turn4 ,,footnotes3 #agh ,more correctly1 #8curcuma'3 turmeric root4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,a ,,recipe ,,for ,,making ,,another ,,sort ,,of ,,gilding ,,colour4 ,take red chalk1#agi verdigris1 saltpetre1 vitriol1#ahj and salts of ammonia1 but half as much of the first as of the other ingredients2 take each by weight1 and pound each separately2 and be careful to pound them very fine2 when pounded stir them up in clear water to the consistency of a paste1 and while you are stirring see that you go on grinding them up till all the particles are well blended4 ,this done1 you must put them in a rather big vase because the composition bubbles up2 and mind that the vase has a glazed surface1 or better still be of glass1 and let it be corked4 ,in order to put the colour on1 your work must needs be thickly gilded1 or else it will turn black1 for this colour is very powerful4 ,but if it be sufficiently strongly gilded the work will colour beautifully4 ,the colouring stuff is applied with a paint brush1 but you must mind not to touch the silver or you will black it4 ,painted over in this wise you set your work to the fire1 give it a good steaming and dip it into fresh water1 but you must mind not to overdo the steaming or the gold would be eaten away and not hold4 ,,footnotes3 #agi ,matita rossa4 #ahj ,vitriuolo3 probably green vitriol1 i4e41 sulphate of iron4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,third ,,gilding ,,colour ,,for ,,very ,,thick ,,gilding4#aha ,take the work you want to gild1 in the same way as described above1 clean it#ahb and gild it1 then skilfully dry it2 don't be particular as to drying it too much1 only let it be free of all quicksilver1 then clean it again lightly and heat it over live embers4 ,whilst it is in process of heating spread on it a kind of wax which ,i will describe below4 ,when the wax is spread1 let the work cool1 then have a fire ready of such nature as shall melt off the wax without heating the metal to redness4 ,when heated in this way1 rinse it out in a solution of tartar and water--what among goldsmiths is called grommata4 ,this done1 let it stand for such time as you can say an ,ave ,maria1 then clean it with a brush in fresh water1 rubbing it well4#ahc ,if your work has been well gilded1 you may further colour it with the process ,i shall tell you of shortly4 ,but as to do so you have first to wax it1 ,i had best tell you to begin with how that wax is made2 and 'tis in this wise4 ,,footnotes3 #aha ,che sia abbondantemente carico d'oro4 #ahb ,cellini refers to the preliminary cleaning with urine described in ,chapter xxvii4 #ahc ,ristiara di buon vantaggio4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,the ,,wax ,,for ,,gilding4 ,take five ounces of new wax1 half an ounce of red chalk 7that is to say1 red stone chalk for drawing#ahd71 half an ounce of ,roman vitriol1#ahe three pennyweights#ahf of feretto di spagna1#ahg that is of the weight of a ducat1 or one-eighth of an ounce1 or it may be a bit less1 half an ounce of verdigris1 three pennyweights of borax4 ,mix all these things together and melt them with the wax1 apply them as above described4 ,after this1 when the wax is cleaned off1 you can give it the colouring that follows hereunder4 ,,footnotes3 #ahd ,lapis rosso da disegnare2 ,french1 #8sanguine4' #ahe ,vitriouolo romano3 sulphate of iron4 #ahf ,denari4 #ahg ,possibly calcined sulphate of iron2 ,french1 #8ferret4' ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,yet ,,another ,,colouring4 ,take half an ounce of ,roman vitriol1 half an ounce of saltpetre1 six pennyweights of salts of ammonia1 half an ounce of verdigris1 and pound them upon a stone1 do not use iron4 ,pound the salts of ammonia first very carefully1 then all the others together4 ,then mix them in a glazed vessel#ahh with as much water as shall make them have the consistency of a sauce1 stir them over the fire with a piece of wood1 let them boil for such space as you can say two ,paternosters4 ,do not give them a strong fire for that would spoil them4 ,everything in moderation4 ,let them cool1 and use them as is here written in the manner following4 ,,footnotes3 #ahh ,pentolino4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,manner ,,of ,,applying ,,the ,,said ,,colour4 ,let your work be dried with a clean cloth1 then by means of a few feathers streak it over with the above concoction in the same way as you did when colouring the gold with the verdigris mixture4 ,then put it on the fire4 ,when you see it drying and beginning to steam hard 7do not let it steam quite dry7 dip it in cold water4 ,then clean it up1 once again let it simmer slowly in the tartar solution#ahi for such space as you may say an ,ave ,maria2 yet again clean it in water and polish it where you will4 ,this gives the loveliest gilding and of the most beautiful colour that can be made1 and lasts for ever4 ,,footnotes3 #ahi ,bollire freddo nella grommata4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,what ,,you ,,do ,,when ,,you ,,wish ,,to ,,leave ,,bare ,,the ,,silver ,,in ,,certain ,,places4 ,when you have cleaned up the parts where the gold is not to stick1 you take some flour dust1 such as you may gather on the walls and cornices of mills1 we in ,florence call fuscello1 and you mix it with water to the consistency of a paste1 and with a 7camel's7 hair brush lay it thick on the parts not to be gilded1 after which you dry it well before a slow fire1 and can gild safely4 ,another way1 too1 may be employed where the flour dust is not used4 ,you take gesso in the cake1#aij such as the shoemakers use1 pound it up well1 and make a paste of it either with stag glue1#aia or better with fish glue1#aib but mind that either glue be well mixed with water1 so that it does not get too stiff4 ,and inasmuch as ,i want to omit nothing1 ,i bid you note that this gesso is best employed when you merely want to gild and leave the silver white1 whereas the flour dust method is best used when you want in addition to colour the gold as above described4 ,this is as much as you need know about such matters4 ,now though1 of a truth1 the prime merit of every craft is your being well able to practise it yourself1 yet none the less it were better to leave these processes of gilding to those who are specialists1 for it is as ,i said very unhealthy#aic to practise4 ,know how it's done1 that's all4 ,,footnotes3 #aij ,gesso in pane4 #aia ,colla cervona4 ,probably a glue made of stags' skins or chippings4 ,in #8,cennino ,cennini' is a footnote on glues1 quoting from #8,dioscorides' a glue1 colla taurina1 hence possibly #8cervona' from #8cervo4' #aib ,colla di pesce4 #aic ,perniziossima4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,two ,,kinds ,,of ,,aquafortis1 ,,one ,,for ,,parting1#aid ,,the ,,other ,,for ,,engraving ,,etching4 ,first ,i will talk of that mixture with which you etch on copper instead of cutting with the graver1 this is an easy and a very beautiful method4 ,aquafortis for etching is made thus3 you take half an ounce of sublimate1#aie one ounce of vitriol1 half an ounce of rock alum1#aif half an ounce of verdigris1 and six lemons2 and after having care to pound the first mentioned substances well1 you boil them a little in the lemon juice1 but not so as to let them get too dry4 ,the boiling should be done in a glazed pot1 and if you have no lemons you may take strong vinegar which will give a like result4 ,when you have well smoothed your copper plate you can take any ordinary varnish1#aig such as is used for the lacquering of the ornaments on daggers and other iron work1 heat it gently1 putting a little wax with it1 this you do to prevent the varnish from cracking when you draw upon it4 ,it must not be too hot when you spread it on your copper plate4 ,when you have etched on your design make a ridge of wax round the plate and pour on the parting water1 letting it stand not longer than half an hour4 ,if then it be not bitten deep enough1 do it again4 ,then remove it and clean it well with a sponge4 ,you draw on the varnish with a stylus of well tempered steel1 that is an iron needle1 which in the craft is termed a stile4 ,you wash the varnish off the plate with a sponge of warm oil1 but very softly so as not to destroy the intaglio4 ,then you use the plate stamp impressions on to card-board from it in just such a manner as plates done with the graver4 ,it is true that this sort of plate is produced very easily1 but then1 you see1 they don't last near so long as those done with the graver4 ,,footnotes3 #aid ,acqua da partire is the acid into which you put alloys and clippings1 filings1 etc41 to separate gold from silver1 or silver from copper1 or gold from gilt copper1 in other words nitric acid4 ,partitore is the man who exercises this trade4 ,hoepli's ,manual1 #8,oreficeria1' published ,milan1 gives information about the modern way of using acids for #8separating or parting4' #aie ,solimato3 can this be sublimed sal ammoniac8 #aif ,allumi di rcca4 #aig ,vernice ordinaria4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,aquafortis ,,for ,,parting4 ,aquafortis for parting#aih is made thus4 ,you take #h lbs4 of burnt rock alum#aii an equal quantity of the best saltpetre1 and #d lbs4 of ,roman vitriol1 put them altogether into the alembic1#bjj add to these things a little aquafortis that has already been used1 exercising your discretion as to the quantity4 ,and in order to give a good luting#bja to your alembic take horse-dung1 iron filings brick dust in equal proportions1 and mix them up with the yolk of a hen's egg1 then smear the mixture over the alembic as far as the furnace will allow4 ,then for the rest put it to a moderate fire1 as the wont is4 ,,footnotes3 #aih ,partire4 #aii ,allume di rcca arso4 ,prof4 ,church tells me that this is probably sulphate of alumina1 from alum shale4 #bjj ,boccia4 ,biringoccio in the fourth book of his #8,pirotechnica1' ,venice1 #aedj1 ,chap4 ,i41 gives an illustrated description both of such an alembic and of how aquafortis for parting is distilled4 ,see also the ,french edition of the same book translated by #8,jaques ,vincent4' ,rouen1 #afbg4 #bja ,loto3 the closing of the joints4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,royal ,,cement4 ,take the gold you wish to refine and beat it thin1 cut it into little pieces of the size and the thickness of a golden scudo4 ,sometimes the scudi themselves are taken and a twenty-four carat cement refined direct from them2 and this simple#bjb cement has such virtue that it can draw all the alloy#bjc out of the scudo itself without destroying the impression on the coin1 but drawing from it only what was of base metal4 ,the cement is made in this wise3 ,take tartar and brick dust and make a paste of them2 construct a round furnace#bjd1 into the joints of the furnace between one brick and another spread the paste2 put your pieces of gold1 or the scudi themselves1 if you use them1 into the paste1 and cover them well up with more of it2 then fire for twenty-four hours1 at the end of which time they will be refined to twenty-four carats4#bje ,know1 gentle reader1 that this screed of mine is not writ for the purpose of teaching such as are refiners#bjf by profession how to make aquafortis1 my only care is to show how to what end it may serve the art of goldsmithing2 for it came about that having made certain golden figures half a cubit high for ,king ,francis1 when they were near the ending1 during the softening in the fire1 it happened they got a film of lead fumes across them1 and had ,i not covered them over with this cement lotion they would have gone brittle as glass4#bjg ,then ,i gave them six hours moderate firing1 and so in this way freed them from so evil a blemish4 ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,treatise ,,on ,,goldsmithing4 ,,footnotes3 #bjb ,cellini may intend a stronger sense to the word #8semplice4' #bjc ,lega4 #bjd ,see above1 furnace construction4 #bje ,cellini appears not to have quite understood the process4 ,geber1 who gives the oldest description of it1 #8,alchemiae ,gebri ,arabis ,philosophi ,solertissimi ,libri1 etc4 ,joan3 ,petreius ,nurembergen denuo ,bernae excudi faciebat1' anno #aede1 p4 #ea1 gives the ingredients thus3 #8,vitriol 7ferrous sulphate71 sal ammoniac1 flower of copper 7scale of oxide of copper formed by heating the metal with access of air71 ground old earthen pot1 sulphur in the smallest quantity or none at all1 man's urine1 together with similar sharp and penetrating substances1' etc4 ,see ,percy's #8,metallurgy1' ,murray1 #ahhj2 ,part ,i41 p4 #che4 ,prof4 ,roberts-,austen adds that #8usually the 8cement10 and the gold to be purified1 were placed together into a porous earthen pot1 and not between the joints of the brickwork4' #bjf ,partitore4 #bjg ,i am assured that this is a point of considerable scientific interest4 ,illustration3 7,decorative ,flower7 ,,the ,,treatise ,,on ,,sculpture4 ,illustration3 ,the ,nymph of ,fontainebleau ,,the ,,treatise ,,on ,,sculpture4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,on ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,casting ,,in ,,bronze4 ,as in other places ,i have done1 so now will ,i do afresh1 in order to give more surety confidence to him that reads this screed of mine1 adduce examples from sundry great works in bronze that ,i made for ,king ,francis while in the glorious city of ,paris4 ,those bronzes in part ,i finished1 the greater part ,i left imperfect4 ,one of the completed ones was a lunette about eight cubits across1 made for the gateway of ,fontainebleau4 ,for this arch ,i fashioned a statue about seven cubits long in rather more than half relief1 it was a figure personifying the fountain4 ,under its left arm were vases1 from which water seemed to flow1 and its right arm was posed upon the head of a stag1 a great part of whose neck was brought out in full relief4 ,on one side of the lunette were a number of dogs1 that is to say setters#bjh greyhounds2 on the other side were fashioned stags and wild boar4 ,above the lunette ,i made two little angels with torches in their hands as signifying victory1 over the whole was the salamander1 the emblem of the ,king4 ,there was abundance of rich festoonment1 and two great satyrs for the pilasters of the gate4 ,these latter were not cast1 but were left in a state ready for casting4 ,the lunette1 however1 was cast in several pieces1 the first and biggest was the nymph of ,fontainebleau herself4#bji ,her head other portions of her body stood out in full relief1 while the rest were in half relief4 ,the way ,i fashioned her was as follows4 ,i made a model in clay of just the size the figure was to be2 this done1 ,i estimated that the shrinkage would be about one finger's thickness4 ,so ,i very carefully went over the whole1 touching it up and measuring it as the art directs4#baj ,then ,i gave it a good baking1 and after that ,i spread over the whole an even coat#baa of wax of less than a finger's thickness1 similarly adding wax where ,i thought it needed it1 or even taking a little away from off the waxen coat that was over the whole4 ,this method ,i pursued till ,i had completed it with infinite diligence and care4 ,after this ,i pounded up some ox bone1 or rather the burnt core of ox horns4 ,it is like a sponge1 ignites easily1 and is the best bone that you can get anywhere4 ,with this ,i beat up half a similar quantity of gesso of tripoli1#bab and a fourth part of iron filings1 mixed the three things well together with a moist solution of dung of horses or kine1 which ,i first passed through a fine sieve with fresh water1 till the latter took the colour of the dung4 ,the whole formed a composition which ,i applied to my model with hog sables1 arranging the bristles so that their softer and external ends formed the end of the sable1 and were thus tenderer to work with2 and so gave the whole figure an equal coating of the composition all over1 then ,i let it dry1 and similarly gave it two more coats1 each time letting them dry4 ,these coats were every one about the thickness of an ordinary table knife's back4 ,this done1 ,i gave it a coat#bac of clay about half a finger thick1 let it dry1 gave it another coat about a finger thick1 let that dry too1 and finally gave it a third1 of the same thickness4 ,,footnotes3 #bjh ,bracchi4 #bji ,see ,cellini's allusion to this in the #8,vita4' #baj ,misurando come prometta l'arte4 #baa ,i interpret this to mean that he made measurements with a view to regulating the subsequent wax coat which was in the end to be replaced by the bronze4 ,brinckman interprets it otherwise2 according to him the meaning would be that because of the shrinkage ,cellini gave the figure another coat of clay1 but this appears to me to imply a misunderstanding of the process4 ,see also1 ,symonds' interpretation of this method in the #8,vita4' #bab ,gesso di tripolo4 #bac ,camicia4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,how ,,the ,,above-,,mentioned ,,clay ,,is ,,made4 ,the clay you use is made thus3 ,you take such clay as is used by the ordnance makers for their moulds4 ,it may be found in many places1 but preferably near by rivers1 for there it has a certain sandiness1#bad still it must not be too sandy1 suffice it if it be thin1 for the rich clay is delicate and soft1 such as is used for small figures1 cups1 plates1 and so forth1 but not good for our purpose4 ,also you will find it in hills and grottoes1 particularly round ,rome and ,florence1 and in ,france at ,paris4 ,the clay from the latter city is the finest ,i ever saw2 but as a rule the clay from grottoes is better than that from rivers4 ,in order to obtain a good result you must let it dry1 and sift it carefully through a rather coarse sieve in order to get rid of any pebbles or bits of root or of glass1 such-like things4 ,then you mix it with cloth frayings1 about half as much of the latter as you have clay2 and take note that here is a wondrous mystery of the craft that has never yet been used by any but me4 ,when the clay and the cloth frayings are mixed and bathed with water to the consistency of a dough1 you beat the mixture up well with a stout iron rod about two fingers thick2 and1 for this is the secret1 you let it decompose for at least four months or more1 the longer the better2 for then the cloth frayings rot1 and owing to this the clay gets to be like an unguent4 ,to those who have not had experience of this little trade secret of mine the clay will appear too fatty1 but this particular kind of fattiness in no wise hinders the accepting of the metal1#bae indeed it accepts it infinitely better1 the clay holds a hundred times more firmly so than if it had not rotted4 ,i have used this kind of clay in ever so many most difficult works1 all of which ,i shall tell of in their proper place4 ,,footnotes3 #bad ,alquanto renosa4 #bae ,lo accettare il metallo4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,another ,,method ,,of ,,casting ,,figures ,,in ,,bronze ,,of ,,life ,,size ,,or ,a ,,little ,,under4 ,model the figure you wish to cast direct in the clay and rag composition above described4 ,finish your model most carefully as regards its proportions and its details of design1 in fact just as you wish to see it completed4 ,when you have finished your figure1 working it part in the fresh part in the dry clay1 as the art may require1 and wishing to cast it in bronze1 you give it a covering of painter's foil#baf in order to do which you first take a certain quantity of turps1 heat it in a cauldron or pail1 and when it is heated to boiling1 streak it very carefully all over the figure with a hog's sable1 taking heed not to injure a single muscle1 vein or other subtlety1 and so very carefully apply your foil4 ,this foil has to be beaten into very fine sheets such as the painters use in many places1 as for instance on their canvasses for painting coats of arms2 it is well enough known all the world over4 ,well1 you put this foil over the clay figure1 and as you have to make a mould of gesso over that1 you oil the whole figure well first4 ,were it not for the foil it would be but ill protected against the humidity and cohesive#bag power of the gesso1 but with the foil it is well protected4 ,in this way you work to great advantage1 for after the figure is cast in bronze you still have your fine original model before you2 and many youths able workmen can help you clean the bronze figure up1 while if you have no model to work to1 this cleaning up takes a long time1 is little to the poor master's liking1 and has but a sorry result4 ,this was what happened to me when ,i made the ,perseus for the most illustrious ,duke ,cosimo1 and which may still be seen on his ,excellency's piazza4 ,this1 which was a figure of more than five cubits high1 was made in the first of the two described methods2 that is to say1 it was modelled in the clay composition1 finished one finger's thickness under actual size2#bah then it was well baked1 and the coat of wax modelled over it as in the case of the nymph of ,fontainebleau4 ,after this it was cast all in one piece4 ,in order to remove the core#bai so that the figure might be lighter1 ,i made through the wax a number of holes in the flanks1 shoulders1 and legs1 and at such places where ,i required them2 the result of this was that the core was kept in its place4 ,moreover1 ,i put over the wax those unguents which ,i referred to in the case of the nymph of ,fontainebleau1 then the two or three coats of clay1 next ,i bound it round with the iron of which ,i shall tell directly1 then ,i cast it4 ,this casting was1 owing to its size1 the most difficult casting ever made4 ,but because ,i am now minded to tell of the casting of a smaller figure1 ,i will not muddle things too much by leaving my theme4 ,later on ,i shall not fail to enter upon a little dissertation about my ,perseus4 ,illustration3 ,the ,perseus ,now ,i have to repeat1 then1 that the clay figure must have a kind of paste spread over it with a very soft paint brush1 little by little the foil is laid upon it4 ,this paste is made of flour dust1 and prepared in the way shoemakers do it1 or the mercers1 when they make barettas satchels and such like1 and you must mind to make it very fine and thin1 and when you have put the foil in little pieces all over it and the whole figure is covered1 you can make your gesso mould4 ,there are divers ways of making the gesso moulds4 ,the best1 however1 that ,i have come across and that ,i mostly use myself1 is to make as many small pieces as when put together would make a complete man1 and that without any undercutting--as for instance feet1 hands1 head4 ,these small pieces must be made with great care2 and while the gesso is moist you fit into each of them an iron wire bent double1 and projecting out of the gesso much like a little ring1 so as to be capable of holding a thread through it4 ,each time that one of these small pieces is finished it must be tested1 and you must see if you get a good impression from it if the piece relieves4 ,then if you see that the impression relieves without spoiling a single trifle of your work's delicacy1 you put the piece in its place again1 and with all a good master's ingenuity take the next piece off it1 leaving no rift whatever in between them such as would scar the work2 so you go on little by little1 making the whole series of pieces1 observing the undercutting and whatever is demanded for the head1 hands1 feet1 c4 ,in this manner you carefully make your division right down one half of the figure1 ,i mean the half1 taken lengthwise1 coming over the belly and the breasts down to the hips1 and from the bottom of them to the half of the heels4#bbj ,mind1 however1 that with these small pieces the figure is not entirely covered1 but leave a part of the breasts1 a part of the body1 a large part of the thighs1 and as much of the legs4 ,you must take care1 too1 that the pieces be so placed that they may be fitted together as one1 but there must be no undercutting because over this half figure will have to be cast a coat#bba of fine gesso more than two fingers thick4 ,before doing this1 however1 you must mind to cover up with a little clay the iron rings which ,i told you before were to be put on the small pieces1 so that in putting on the coat they do not hinder it from being lifted off4 ,after this you carefully paint over with a brush of olive oil all such parts as shall come in contact with this coat in order that when the gesso is set the coat may easily relieve4 ,when you have tried a piece to see if it will relieve1 put it back in its place1 and finish the other or back half of the figure in the same way as ,i bade you do the front4 ,you must be very careful when you have finished your mould to take some strong thick cord and bind the whole figure together from top to bottom1 putting a lot of little wedges of wood in order to tighten the rope yet more and prevent the gesso from twisting#bbb and buckling4 ,in order not to run any risk of such twisting you keep it thus bound up till all the moisture has gone from the gesso4 ,when you see it quite dry you unwind the cord and open the mould1 and that is your first mould4#bbc ,this in small figures may be of two pieces only2 when ,i say small figures ,i mean life size or less1 these may be made in two pieces2 if they be larger than that you must make them in four pieces1 i4e41 one piece on each side from the top to the navel1 another on each side from the navel to the bottom of the figure4 ,in order to fit better together these pieces must overlap the one upon the other a distance of about two fingers4 ,this all minutely accomplished1 you proceed to open the mould and lay it back downwards on the ground1 that is to say with the concave sides of it facing upwards1 and you take off one by one all the little pieces sticking to the figure and put them into the cavities made by them in the mould2#bbd at the same time removing the little bits of clay which you put on the iron rings2 and in every place where the clay has left impressions1 bore a hole with a small gimlet#bbe into the mother mould1 and attach to each iron ring a piece of strong cord4 ,this cord you pass through the holes in the mother mould1 and tie each piece up in this manner with a little splint of wood4 ,when you have thus fitted all your little undercut pieces into the mother mould1#bbf you grease the whole mould with soft lard1 proceed to give it what is technically termed the lasagna1 which is a cake about a good knife's back thick of wax or clay or paste4 ,this is made thus3 you take a piece of wood and with the chisels cut out in it a square cavity the shape of a man's palm and of the depth of a good knife's back1 more or less1 in accordance with the thickness your figure is to have4 ,then you keep squeezing your cake 7or lasagna7 into this wooden shape1 apply it to the gesso mould of your figure so as to let one piece touch the other4 ,then you lay the two halves together on the ground side by side1 and construct an iron framework which serves as a skeleton for the figure1 and this must be made tortuously and in accordance with the direction of the legs1 arms1 torso1 head of the figure4 ,this done1 you take clay beaten together with shavings of cloth--the thin clay of which ,i told you before#bbg--;and little by little fit it round the skeleton1 letting it dry1 now by patient waiting1 now by holding it before the fire1 till the whole of your mould is filled4 ,then you test the two parts by repeatedly applying the one to the other4 ,when this framework of earth and iron1 which is called the kernel1 nocciolo1 fills the figure so completely as to tally all round with the lasagna1 you take it out1 bind it round with thin iron wire from head to foot and give it a good firing4 ,then you streak it over with a thin solution made of powdered bone and thin brick dust mixed with a little of the clay and cloth frayings1 and apply it again to a rather slighter fire1 this time so that the solution shall also be fired1 then you take the lasagna out of your mould4 ,you must be very careful1 too1 to leave some pieces of the iron skeleton sticking out in at least four places1 for they will keep the kernel from shifting1 and these projections must tally with the gesso mould4 ,when the lasagna is removed you once more grease the gesso mould with fat1 a little soft bacon fat is best1 and it is also well to have it warm1 for then it combines better with the gesso4 ,then you make the inlet holes in which you want to pour your wax1 and fit the kernel into the mould2 then stand the figure up straight make at least four vent holes1 two at the feet and two at the hands1 the more you make the surer you will be to fill your figure with wax4 ,the vent holes you make thus4 ,the first two you place right at the very bottom of the feet1 and it will be better for you to set your figure on a little eminence in order to do this more easily4 ,you must take a stout gimlet1#bbh and carefully bore a hole with it1 and this is best done if slanting downwards1 and see that you leave no fragments in the mould as you do it4 ,when you have made these holes1 you take a number of canes1 which you skilfully bend1 so fit together that they start from the holes below and turn up straight alongside the figure1 binding one cane to another all together into one up towards to the top of the figure4 ,you must be careful1 too1 wherever the bits of cane join1 and wherever they fit into the holes1 to smear them well round with a little moist clay so as to prevent the wax from oozing out4 ,after this you can heat your wax1 1 when it is well molten1 pour it in4 ,this process now can be easily effected1 however difficult the pose of the figure may be1 if you observe the various little hints ,i have given you1 above all give heed to the vent holes at the base4 ,after you have filled it with wax let it thoroughly cool for a whole day--if it be summer1 say two days4 ,then undo the bindings with great care2 loosen all the little bits of string that tie the pieces together within1 and are made for the undercuttings as ,i so carefully explained to you before4 ,when you have uncovered the one half1 you may complacently begin to try it from either front or back2 ,i tell you this1 the fact of your having let the wax stand for that day or two according to the season of the year1 will cause a slight shrinkage in the wax of about the space of a horse's hair1 and so you will find it quite easy to remove this first piece from your figure4 ,then lay it down1 and proceed to do the like to the next piece1 you will do well to lay both on long narrow benches1 so that you can get underneath them with your hands4 ,after this you remove from the figure all the pieces of the mould attached with the bits of string through the iron rings one by one ever so carefully1 and you polish remove very nicely all the rough edges that may have been left on the figure by reason of the joinings of all the different pieces1 and in this manner you touch up the whole4 ,in doing this1 moreover1 if you are minded to add any subtle labour or fancy to your work1 you are easily able to do it4 ,after this#bbi you fashion in wax1 just as you erst made them for the earthen mould#bcj all the vent holes for the bronze casting1 mind that they all slant downwards to the bottom2 later when the figure has its last earthen mould on1 these vents may easily be turned up with clay4 ,the method of doing this ,i shall describe minutely later as soon as ,i have shown how all the different coatings#bca from first to last are applied1 the mould bound up and the wax emptied out4 ,here all ,i want to insist on is that the vents must be made to bend towards the bottom1 because1 when that is the case1 the wax is more easily melted out2 if they were otherwise you would have to turn the mould up and down1 which would give trouble1 you would run risk of spoiling it4 ,but if you do it as ,i tell1 you are absolutely safe4 ,then note this too1 it is of the utmost importance that in melting out the wax your fire be so tempered that the wax does not boil in the mould1 but comes out with the greatest patience4 ,when the wax is all out give the mould yet another but very moderate firing1 in order to get rid of any moisture that may be left in the mould4 ,then you may give it a regular good firing1 first casing the mould in a coat of bricks set one above the other1 at about a three fingers' distance from the mould2 this firing should be of soft wood1 such as elder1 lime1 beech or twigs4 ,any green wood1 or the wood of the oak1 is to be avoided1 and use no charcoal whatever1 because all these fuse the clay and make it become like glass4 ,there are some earths that do not thus cohere1 and such are used in glass bronze furnaces4 ,i shall not fail in the proper place to tell you of these1 but at present let me continue my narration of how to prepare our mould for the casting of the bronze4 ,dig a pit near your furnace in front of the plug at the outlet hole1#bcb which pit should be so big as not only to contain your figure1 but also be half a cubit deeper1 and in order that you can give the proper fall1 the mouth or inlet hole#bcc must be at least a quarter of a cubit above the head of your figure4 ,so also as in the case of its depth1 the pit should be half a cubit larger in width than would be needed to hold the mould4 ,then take the mould out of the bricks in which you baked it1 and when it is cool bind it very carefully with a rope which should be strong enough to carry it1 then fasten a pulley to a beam in the roof1 the rope through the pulley1 and see that you provide a windlass sufficiently strong to lift your figure4 ,as ,i don't want to omit certain little details1 which may be well learnt from experience1 ,i may mention that when ,i made my ,perseus1 for that the work was so very large1 ,i lowered it into the pit with two windlasses1 which were weighted with more than #b1jjj lbs41 but a small figure of three cubits would not need more than one4 ',tis true you might do without any windlass at all for the latter1 but that would be very risky1 because it might tend to move the kernel of the mould1 that is the core#bcd or inner block1 or again it might knock the shell#bce outside it4 ,the windlass obviates this danger4 ,and so you very very gently hoist the figure up1 move it to the mouth of the pit1 with equal care you unwind the windlass and lower it to the bottom4 ,when the figure is standing in position1 with the inlet hole#bcc in a line with the plugs#bcf at the outlet hole1#bcb the first thing you have to do is to fit on to the vent holes certain tubes of baked clay such as are used for water-pipes4 ,of these there are plenty to be got in ,florence1 so that ,i was provided1 and ,i used some of them bent1 those for the bottom pieces1 and in all such instances when the vents were turned downwards2 and fitting one tube on to another1 ,i brought them into one straight line upwards4 ,this done1 you take the earth you dug out of the trench and sift it well2 then mix it with sand1 which1 however1 ought not to be too soft1 with this mixture you fill up the pit4 ,the mixture of sand earth it may be observed need only surround the figure to the extent of a quarter of a cubit1 for the rest1 the plain unsifted earth as you dug it out of the trench1 will suffice to fill up the remainder of the cavity4 ,when the earth has been piled in to the extent of about one-third of a cubit1 you go into the pit with two rammers1#bcg which are a kind of wooden instrument three cubits long about a quarter of a cubit broad at the bottom4 ,and with these you pound the earth and weld it well together4 ,in doing this you must take great care in no way to knock at the mould1 it will be quite sufficient if you come within four fingers of it1 and instead of the rammers1 press it with your feet1 still take great care not to shake the mould4 ,this ramming in you will repeat every time you have shovelled another third of a cubit of earth into the pit4 ,every time1 too1 that the earth fills up to the level of the top of the vents1 take another of the terra cotta pipes and add it on1 binding the juncture round well with a little clean tow in order to prevent the earth getting into the vents1 for that would stop the passage of air and so hinder your figure from coming4 ,in this way1 taking heed of the vents as you fill in the earth1 you pass from base to legs1 from legs to flanks1 from flanks to arms1 till at last you get earth and vents on a level with the top of your pit4 ,then you proceed to make the passage#bch down which the bronze is to flow4 ,also you must take care that as soon as you begin putting your figure into the trench1 you begin at the same time to fill your furnace with the bronze and heat it1 so that your mould shall not get damp from too long standing4 ,all these things if they be not observed ofttimes prevent the mould from filling4 ,when the pit is filled up to the mouth of the main entrance#bci where the bronze is to be poured in1 and also having allowed for the necessary fall from the mouth of the plug#bdj whence the bronze is to issue from the furnace1 having carried up all the vents as described1 you keep both them and the mouth of the main entrance carefully plugged with a little tow4 ,then you take a lot of square tiles and make a pavement of them round the vents4 ,as there will be more than one entrance channel for your bronze1 you must take note that the flooring in question comes right up to the ingress holes of the bronze4 ,then you take bits of hard dry bricks broken up into pieces of three fingers or more in thickness1 according to your cunning master's discretion and according to the fall your bronze may need1 then these bricks you plaster together with liquid clay and cloth shavings in lieu of mortar1 on the top of your flooring4 ,note further1 that of these same bricks you construct a channel from the wall of your furnace and running right round the ingress holes of your figure4 ,then you take bricks1 baked or unbaked 7the latter are better1 though there's not much difference7#bda and wall up the channel to the requisite height1 the thickness of a brick wall will suffice4 ,you construct it by laying brick upon brick making the height of the wall equal the width of the channel4#bdb ,when you have carefully joined together with your moist clay instead of mortar all the cracks through which the bronze might ooze out1 you remove the tow plugs in the ingress holes of the bronze1 and in their stead fit some easily removable stops of moist clay made so that you can take them out without difficulty1 for you have almost immediately to bring glowing coals into your channel1 and with these you cover all the parts that have been walled up with clay till they are well dried1 and the fire must be renewed several times till they are not only well-dried but baked4 ,when all this is accomplished1 and your metal meanwhile has got well fused1 carefully blow with the bellows all the ash and cinders out of the channel1 till none remains to hinder the passage of the metal2 then take out all the plugs that close the vent holes1 and the earthen stoppers in the ingress holes1 throw some two or three tallow candles1 under one pound in weight1 into the channel4 ,hereupon run to the mouth of your furnace and refresh it with a certain quantity of pewter of rather more than the ordinary alloy1 i4e41 half a pound per cent4 7i4e41 of bronze7#bdc more than what you have hitherto used4 ,when this has been very rapidly done1 heap up more and more fire of green wood in your furnace1 and then with your iron crook 7mandriano7 for thus the instrument is called1 boldly strike away the plug of the furnace1 let the bronze run2 gently at first1 holding a point of the iron crook in the mouth of the plug1 till a certain quantity of the metal has run forth1 its first fury be spent1 for if you did not do this you might run the risk of your mould being stopped up with wind4 ,then you can remove the iron crook from the mouth of the plug and let all the bronze go till the furnace be emptied4 ,to this end it is necessary to have a man standing at each of the furnace mouths1 who1 with the scraping iron#bdd which is used in the craft1 drives the bronze towards the outlet1 until all is cleared out4 ,such of the flowing metal as is still left after your mould is filled you dam by means of throwing on to it with a shovel some of the earth you erstwhile dug out of the trench4 ,that is how you complete your mould4 ,not to be omitted are divers and terrible mishaps that occur from time to time1 and often bring to nought all the poor master's pains4 ,so 'tis a wise thing to profit in good time by the experience of others4 ,ofttimes we figure casters call in the help of ordnance founders#bde to aid us1 but the most terrible misfortunes not infrequently occur owing to their insufficient experience and want of care1 and all our labour is lost4 ,just such a thing very nearly happened to me when ,i was casting my ,perseus1 for1 calling to aid some of those fellows1 ,i found them so absolutely devoid of sense that in their stupidity they all swore my mould was spoilt1 and that there was no means of righting it1 and all this thanks to the muddle they themselves had made with my metal4#bdf ,the statue was more than five cubits high its pose was a difficult one1 for in its left hand it held raised aloft the head of ,medusa1 in the hair of which was much rich detail of serpents2 while the right hand was held behind in a vigorous action1 the left leg was bent4 ,all this variety of limbs made the casting most difficult1 and for this reason ,i was ever so keen to get it good1 and also because it would be the first big work ,i had produced in ,italy1 my fatherland1 the veritable school of all the arts4 ,so ,i was moved to even greater pains and diligence than ,i had before used to complete my figure well4 ,so1 therefore1 ,i set to making a great number of air vents1 and ever so many flowing-in mouths that all diverged from one main one1 the which ran down at the back of the figure from the height of the head down to both heels and spreading out a bit at the calves4 ,all these little hints are part of the craft1 and in this manner did ,i practise it when ,i wrought in ,france4 ,as ,i had to do almost everything with my own hand1 owing to the intense bodily fatigue to which ,i was subjected a violent fever seized upon me4 ,i struggled against it for many hours1 but in the end it floored me1 and ,i was brought to bed4 ,as ,i had those different masters of ordnance and statuary founders working for me1 ,i explained to them before ,i laid me down1 exactly the methods ,i had begun1 and how these were now perfectly easy to understand1 as more than half the figure was already covered1 the greater part of the difficulties surmounted4 ,all that they had to do was to follow my instructions in detail1 and that appeared easy enough1 so1 being utterly incapable of holding out any longer1 ,i flung myself on my couch4 ,meantime the men worked at my furnace which ,i had so well prepared and in which the bronze was nearly molten#bdg and ready for completing4 ,now they had a good six hours' work still to employ them in order to fulfil all my instructions in proper sequence1 because they were not quite skilled in the technique of the craft1 and because my methods were different from those they usually employed4 ,well1 instead of doing what they were told they began larking about1 neglected the furnace so that the metal commenced to curdle1 or1 as it is called in the craft1 to cake1 migliaccio they call it in their lingo4 ,nary a one knew a remedy for this blunder1 for in a round furnace like this one the action of the fire upon the metal is from above1 were it from below it would be easy enough to heat the curdled metal again2 so not one of them knew a remedy4 ,then as ,i lay there prostrate on my bed with fever1 one of them in whom ,i had a little more confidence than the rest1 came to me1 and speaking very gently1 said3 #8,benvenuto1 resign yourself to the worst1 the furnace has been ill prepared1#bdh a cake has formed on the metal4' ,then ,i turned myself toward him and had all the other craftsmen summoned in whom ,i put any confidence1 and asked them if they knew any remedy4 ,whereupon these precious fine fellows said there was no other remedy but to break up the furnace1 in so doing1 as the mould was buried six cubits in the ground1 they could not see 7they said7 how the mould could help being spoiled4 ,for even if ,i tried to dig up the ground round it1 which had been plugged fast1 there were so many ingress holes vents that it was dead certain to be spoiled4 ,that1 forsooth1 was the only remedy they had6 ,now1 gentle reader1 picture to yourself my state1--,i in all my ills sickness--this new trouble thrust upon me--all my honour at stake--why ,i felt the keenest grief that ever man could imagine6 ,but this was no time to give way to grief4 ,suddenly1 as in a frenzy1 my old inborn daring came upon me2 it's not a thing one can learn1 this6 it's in a man's nature6 ,furiously ,i leapt from my bed literally frightened away that grievous fever with the biting words ,i shouted at those fellows4 #8,oh you good-for-nothings6 who not only know nought1 but have brought to nought all my splendid labours1 at least keep your heads on your shoulders now and obey me2 for from my knowledge of the craft ,i can bring to life what you have given up for dead1 if only the sickness that is upon me shall not crush out my body's vigour4' ,thus hounding them on ,i ran with them into the workshop1 and in one go ordered six of them to different duties4 ,first ,i bade one of them fetch me a load of dry oak that was stacked opposite the house of ,capretta1 the butcher2 as soon as this came ,i began throwing it into the furnace several pieces at a time4 ,now1 though ,i've said it once before--as it's so very important ,i'm going to tell it you again1 it's this3 in bronze furnaces the only woods you use are elder1 willow1 and pine1 for all these are soft woods2 in this particular instance1 however1 ,i used oak1 because ,i wanted the greatest possible heat1 and thus the metal began to move at once4 ,to two others ,i bade with long iron rods to keep poking into the furnace mouths because it was storming with wind1 and raining cats and dogs1 wind and rain was blowing into my furnace2 by these means ,i showed them how to stave off wind rain4 ,two others ,i set to work to quench the fire1 because a part of the workshop had caught alight1 and several great wooden windows were blazing like the devil1 so that ,i was in terror lest the whole roof should be aflame1 so tremendous was the fire4 ,with the others1 and there were plenty of them1 ,i set to work clearing the channels1 through which the metal was to run1 and to opening all the vent holes4 ,scarce was this done when1 all on a sudden1 just as the work was being completed1 owing to the terrific heat of the burning oak1 the whole cap of the furnace was blown up into the air1 and the metal began to well over on all sides2 they stood in utter astonishment1 all of them1--for they had obeyed me fearsomely--to see the caked metal thus again liquified4 ,the strength of the fire1 however1 had consumed all the tin alloy1 so ,i ordered to be thrown in a thick pig of fine pewter4 ,when ,i saw this was of no avail1 and that by ,god's grace the metal was already beginning to flow to spread itself on the sides of the furnace1 ,i ordered two others to run into my house and fetch hither all my pewter plates and dishes1 #bjj lbs4 weight in all1 and threw them in bit by bit4 ,then ,i made another take iron crooks and strike out first one then the second of the plugs1 which were very hard4 ,then1 as the metal began to flow through the channels1 ,i1 little by little1 threw the thin pewter plates into it1 which1 owing to the immense heat1 combined with the other pewter1 so that my mould was soon filled4 ,seeing all this mass of metal run in so well without any bubbling or even a single hitch1 ,i concluded that all my vents were doing their work4 ,the amount of metal left over just corresponded exactly to the extra quantity thrown in1 so that my mould was completely filled4 ,when this was accomplished ,i gave thanks to ,god1 and turning to the lot of them1 said3 #8,d'ye see how everything has its remedy8' ,spite of the pain such was my delight that ,i felt no more fatigue2 the fever just went to the devil1 ,i sat down to eat and drink with a light heart1 together with all the lot of them1 and everyone marvelled thereat4 ,once1 too1 in ,france1 when serving ,king ,francis1 being anxious to cast a lunette of over six cubits in diameter1 and containing numbers of figures and animals1 and other things1 much the same occurred owing to a like blundering of my assistants4 ,for although the founders in those parts1 especially in around ,lutezia1 where they turn out more of it than in any other place under the sun1 are safer in their technique than any others1 still1 as they are deficient in the fundamental principles of the art1 they lose their heads and give all up in despair when anything exceptional occurs4 ,i anticipated a similar accident to that which ,i have just described with my ,perseus on another eventful occasion2 for1 though the incidents were very different1 there happened to be one thing that differed from customary methods4#bdi ,my people were all in despair1 and even ,i myself was much troubled at seeing them so1 but with my wonted pluck1 and owing to my thorough knowledge of the art ,i was here again able to bring a dead horse to life4#bej ,when those ancient masters of the art 7who were present on that occasion7 saw this they blessed the day and the hour that they made my acquaintance2 though ,i1 who was their pupil1 knew well that it really depended upon what ,i had learnt from them4 ,they worked according to tradition1#bea this tradition ,i mastered2 and ,i will gladly describe the rule on which it was based1 and how this rule stood me in stead4 ,but let us return somewhat in order to continue the course of our narration4 ,for though we have digressed a bit we have not diverged from the method of our subject1 and can easily return to it4 ,we have shown how the mould is made and the casting done1 and we have evidenced this with a statue about three cubits in size2 there yet remains another method1 in itself much easier1 but not so safe as the above-mentioned one4 ,the point of this is that instead of making the core#beb of your figure in clay1 you make it of gesso mixed with burnt bone and pounded brick4 ,provided the gesso be of good quality this method is more easy to practise1 because instead of applying one coat after another1 as you do in the clay method1 you can make the gesso liquid2 that is to say1 having combined the ingredients just stated1 one portion of gesso an equal portion of bone and brick1 you make a sort of paste of it which you pour into the mould over the solution 7lasagna7 and which soon sets4 ,after this1 having taken off the mould1#bec you bind the core well round with iron wire1 and cover this very carefully with a similar coat of paste1 only rather more liquid4 ,this done1 the core is well baked in the same way as the earthen one was in the previous method1 and the wax poured over it into the mould just as described above4 ,when the mould is removed the wax is cleaned round and the air vents arranged also just as before described1 then you case the whole over with a shell of gesso also as before4 ,when this shell is completed to the thickness of about two-and-a-half fingers1 you bind it all round with the same bands of iron two fingers wide1 then once again cover it all over with another coat of gesso4 ,after this the figure is placed in a furnace made entirely of bricks1 so arranged that when the fire is lighted the wax can be melted out into a receptacle set in a hole in the ground beneath the furnace1 the wax flowing through the air vents1 and these vents arranged in the manner above stated4 ,when the wax is out you make up a good fire of wood and charcoal till the outer mould#bed of your figure is well baked1 but you may take note that the gesso does not need near so strong a fire as the clay4 ,true it is that the gesso in our part of ,tuscany does not lend itself so well to works of this nature as that of ,mantua1 ,milan and ,france4 ,several very able youths who have worked for his ,excellency the ,duke of ,florence1 have been taken in not once but two or three times1 owing to the delusion that ours was the best way of making gesso4 ,the most excellent ,duke1 who was ever a lover of thoroughness1 very thoughtfully had patience with them1 but our young men1 unacquainted with the difference between the one gesso and the other1 stuck to their own method1 remained unenlightened4 ,from this you may take note that when a master wants to do a work he should make trial1 not only of his clays and his gessos1 but of all the things he proposes to use4 ,in this way alone will he get credit by his work1 and in no other way4 ,in this connection ,i may make mention of the sorts of lime ,i have seen in ,rome1 in ,france1 and in other parts of the world4 ,the lime that keeps longest in the slacked state is the best makes the firmest composition1 but our ,florentine lime ought to be used immediately after slacking2 if this is done it makes the best lime and the firmest composition in the world1 but it loses its virtue if left standing2 with the foreign lime1 however1 the reverse obtains4 ,,footnotes3 #baf ,stagnuolo1 i4e41 tinfoil4 #bag ,forza4 #bah ,e finito magro in circa un dito4 #bai ,l'anima1 or internal block4 #bbj ,e da basso in sino alla met dei talloni4 #bba ,camicia4 #bbb ,torce4 #bbc ,che viene a essere quella prima camicia4 #bbd ,or #8mother mould' as the sculptors would call it4 #bbe ,succhiellino di tutti quei pezzi che ti tenevano i sotto squadri4 #bbf ,da poi che tu arai vestito tutta la tua camicia4 #bbg ,page #aac4 #bbh ,succhielletto4 #bbi ,e di poi che tu ti sei resoluto4 #bcj ,tonaca4 #bca ,loti4 #bcb ,dinanzi alla spina4 #bcc ,bocca4 #bcd ,anima4 #bce ,spoglia4 #bcf ,spine4 #bcg ,mazzapicchi4 #bch ,via4 #bci ,bocca principale4 #bdj ,bocca della spina1 i4e41 the egress channel4 #bda ,con tutto ci sia poco differenzia4 #bdb ,accomodandoli intorno al tuo canale tanto quanto viene alto4 #bdc ,e rinfrescala con una certa quantita di stagno di piu della lega ordinaria1 la quale vuole essere circa una mezza libbra per cento di piu della lega che vi arai messa4 ,professor ,roberts-,austen is of opinion that this implies an additional half-pound of pewter for every #ajj lbs4 of bronze you have in the furnace4 ,if it is not so1 should the word #8pewter' be translated #8tin'8 that is the lead-tin alloy should contain half-pound more tin 7than is usual7 in every #ajj lbs4 #bdd ,i rastiatoi4 ,brinckman has #8kratzeisen4' #bde ,maestri d'artiglierie4 ,see above4 #bdf ,see the account of this in the #8,vita1' p4 #dbj and onwards4 #bdg ,condotto il mio bronzo in bagno4 #bdh ,stata a disagio ei s'e fatto un migliaccio4 #bdi ,una cosa la quale usciva di quella ordinaria praticaccia4 #bej ,un morto3 our workshop slang of the #8dead horse' would seem to meet ,cellini's meaning here4 #bea ,una continova pratica4 #beb ,nocciolo4 #bec ,di poi sciolto il suo cavo4 #bed ,tonaca4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,how ,,to ,,construct ,,furnaces ,,for ,,casting ,,bronze1 ,,whether ,,for ,,statues1 ,,ordnance1 ,,or ,,other ,,such-,,like ,,things4 ,furnaces for casting bronze have to be made by each master according as the special needs of his piece of work require it4 ,inasmuch as at the beginning of my book ,i promised always to illustrate what ,i was describing by work of my own1 ,i will do so with furnaces also4 ,when working for good ,king ,francis1 ,i had to make a great bronze gate1 for which a special furnace had to be constructed4 ,this ,i did in my own castle1 given to me in royal letters patent by his ,majesty1 whom ,i served most loyally for four years2 and these letters patent ,i brought back with me to ,florence1 if only to show in ,italy my native land what great treasures may not be acquired1 and how good it is after having been trained in ,italy to leave home1 and reap such useful honourable fruits abroad4 ,well1 then1 having to make a furnace1 this was the way ,i did it4 ,the hollow within was three ,florentine cubits wide1 which made it about nine cubits in circumference1 the height of the vault of the furnace was equal in size and shape to the half circle of the bed4#bee ,to this bed1 most gentle reader1 ,i want you to give special attention2 ,i do not intend making a drawing of it1 because ,i have seen so many architectural drawings altered and spoiled1 so ,i shall content myself with words only to convey what ,i mean1 and such as ,i trust may suffice4#bef ,in a furnace of this nature1 the bed1 i4e4 the place where the metal is put1 must be constructed with a fall1 just as ,i made the little one in question4 ,the total fall to the bottom of the bed should be about one-sixth of a cubit1 and see that it is shaped in the manner of the streets you go a-walking in that have in the middle of them what in ,tuscany we call a rigaguolo or gulley2 this gulley runs direct to the mouth of the outlet hole out of which the metal is to flow4 ,the shoulders#beg of the gulley should slope up ever so gently1 till they come to within about one-third of a cubit at the two gates#beh where you put the bronze4 ,this third you can increase or not by one-sixteenth of a cubit according to whether you wish to increase or decrease the depth of your furnace4 ,the third door1 about which you need not be so particular1 is the one through which the fire enters1 1 as it is not brought into direct connection with the bronze1 it need only be blocked with a little mound of earth about three fingers high4 ,the bed of your furnace should be of bricks1 specially constructed1 they should be small1 but bigger at one end than the other1 measuring one-sixth of a cubit in either direction2 by far the best are those used for glass furnaces1 which are made much in the same way as other bricks4 ,some have shaped their bricks with a cutting instrument#bei as they went along1 but ,i find1 after having tried one way another1 that the best results can be obtained by having them all the same size4 ,care should be taken to make the bricks of a clay that does not yield in the fire2 in my native city of ,florence we use a kind of white clay1 said to come from ,monte ,carlo1 and all our glass furnaces were constructed with it4 ,in ,france ,i found another and ever so much better way4 ,the bricks are one-fourth of a cubit long1 the same width as the above1 they call them ciment1 and they make them out of crucibles used in founderies1 of which there are no end in those parts4 ,but your master has got to accommodate himself to the conditions of workmanship in every place he works in4 ,when your bricks are thus made1 they must when quite dry1 be carefully worked over with iron tools1 somewhat in the nature of axes or large chisels made specially for the purpose1 so as to make them cohere as well as possible4 ,after this they are gradually cemented with quarry stones#bfj to the thickness of about half a cubit1 so that you get an absolutely firm floor for your furnace4 ,these quarry stones should be at least one-third of a cubit in size1 and ever so firmly united4 ,the first or lower part of a furnace of this description should be1 in diameter two-thirds of a cubit larger than the upper portion4 ,both must be walled with ordinary lime1 provided it be good1 and after the lower1 you proceed to wall the upper1 the portion in which the bronze has to be placed4 ,having fashioned your bricks out of the fire-resisting earth just referred to1 you take some of this earth1 and make a paste of it as you would of lime1 minding however1 that it is well sifted and clean1 and with it wall the whole base of your furnace4 ,i insist again upon the need of your working over the bricks with your chisels carefully1 smoothing them well1 so that they fit together absolutely1 and in thus fitting them1 you must make the jointings as thin as possible4 ,sometimes it happens1 owing to some little negligence on the master's part1 if he mix the liquid earth too coarsely1 that the tiniest little cracks form in the drying4 ,these cracks1 however small they be1 are mighty dangerous1 may cause incalculable mischief2 for1 when the bronze grows liquid1 such is its terrific force1 that it penetrates into them1 be they never so small1 and ,i myself have seen the whole thing burst up owing to this4#bfa ,but when due care is observed1 the walling made with the finest possible liquid earth1 there is no need for cracks1 your bronze may be safely melted1 and all your work come scatheless from the furnace4 ,after the bed you build up the vault with similar bricks in the same way1 in doing which you must remember1 as ,i said before1 to make your two openings for putting in the bronze2 two-thirds of a cubit wide and three-quarters of a cubit high will suffice them1 and they must be semi-circular atop4 ,there must also be a third opening two-thirds of a cubit wide and one cubit high for the fire to enter in at1 so that the flame1 as is its wont1 may curl powerfully to the top of the vault1 and thence curl down again1#bfb and with great heat play upon the metal1 melt it rapidly4 ,four air vents have to be distributed round the spring of the top of the furnace vault4#bfc ,in one of the vault bricks1 at the lower end of the channel1 a mouth must be made much like the air vents1 big enough for you to put in two fingers quite comfortably4 ,the air vent too must be the same size4 ,this mouth1 out of which the bronze is to flow1 must be made from one brick2 mind that it is a good sound one4 ,the said brick1 too1 must1 moreover1 be built into its place just as the others were1 and helping with them to gradually lock in the vault at the top4 ,so that you don't think me inaccurate1 ,i would have you know that this mouth is called bocca della spina1 the mouth of the plug2 it must be half a finger wider inside than out1 and before you pour out the metal you keep it stopped with an iron stopper luted with a little ash made into a kind of paste4 ,then you take a quarry stone about half a cubit square make a hole through the middle of it4 ,this hole is to be exactly the size of the mouth just made in the brick1 that is to say on the side adjoining the brick1 but on the other side1 the side away from the furnace1 it is to be six times as big1 and it should be cleaned off#bfd outside4 ,then you join it to the brickwork wall of the furnace with the earth1 in the manner mentioned above2 but because the base and sides of the furnace have also to be considered1 as ,i said before1 you cement these with good ordinary lime4 ,similarly all the quarry stones must be the same size as the first piece1 and be attached to the walling in the same manner1 they must be carried up to the height of the vault1 but straight2 so that in the event of any accident happening to the vault1 for to that the craft is often liable1 it may be mended or put in order4 ,when you have walled your furnace round in this way you must be careful to join at the shoulders#bfe of the principal orifice1 by which the flame enters1#bff a hearth two-thirds of a cubit square two cubits deep1 measured from the bottom of this hole of the hearth4 ,in this cavity you put six or seven iron bars1 these are about two fingers thick1 of such length as to project beyond the sides of the hole about four fingers each way1 and they rest upon pins set at intervals of about three fingers apart4 ,this hearth made over the fire bars is constructed in just the same way1 with just the same bricks1 and cemented with just the same mortar as was the furnace2 it must stand from the ground to about the middle of the hole where the fire enters the fire bridge1 and the part above this point must be narrowed to one-eighth of a cubit4 ,straight through this hole the wood is put4 ,under the grating a trench must be dug1 five or six cubits long1 in the direction in which the draught is to pass through the grating into the hearth4 ,care must be taken that the draught only blows in one way1 and that long-ways4 ,we craftsmen call this trench bracciaiuola1 the ash-pit1 because all the ashes fall into it4 ,how long the fire is to be kept up must be a matter of judgment2 sometimes the master may have1 owing to work he has to do on his mould1 to keep it up for quite four or six hours4 ,when the wood logs are burnt through1 they fall into a great pile below the grating4 ,and sometimes they heap up in such a way as to obstruct the force of the draught through the hearth1 that it cannot do its work2 heed must be taken then1 that when the pile begins to grow big1 the ashes must be raked asunder from time to time4 ,to do this1 you must have what we call a rastrello or rake1 which you make as follows4 ,you take a piece of iron half a cubit long and one-eighth of a cubit thick2 on to the middle of this piece and at the upper and thicker side of it you weld an iron rod two fingers thick and two cubits long1 at the other end of this is fashioned a ferule1#bfg into which is fitted a wooden handle at least four cubits long4 ,take heed1 too1 that when your whole furnace is duly made as above directed1 you gird it round with two stout iron bands1 the one round near the base1 the other about one-third of a cubit higher up2 the thicker and stouter these hoops are1 the better1 for ,i know by the experience of the casting of my ,perseus how terrific the might of the fire is4 ,the opening of the hearth through which the wood is put must be kept closed4 ,the covering must be made in the form of an iron spade1 of such a size as shall well cover the opening1 and to this spade a handle of such convenient length that when1 now and again1 you have to manipulate it for putting on fresh wood or otherwise1 you don't burn yourself4 ,it stands to reason that before all these things are accomplished1 the metal has already been put in the furnace1 it must be stacked up in such a manner as to admit of flames playing easily through it1 for this will make the working of your furnace much more effective4 ,know1 too1 gentle reader1 what up to now ,i have forgotten to tell you1 that when with due care your furnace is made1 you must1 before putting the metal into it1 heat it well through for a space of twenty-four hours2 for if you do not do this1 you will not get the metal to melt1 nay rather will it stiffen1#bfh and certain fumes will result from the damp earth that will so impede your work that it may be eight days before your metal begins to flow4 ,that is what happened to me in ,paris4 ,i had made a little furnace and had put my trust in a very excellent old fellow1 quite the best of his craft and about eighty years of age2 but he hadn't dried the furnace properly1 and1 sure enough1 just as it was on the point of melting1 the fire at its fiercest1 out came these earth fumes4 ,when the old worthy saw that for all his heeding the metal was stiffening1 he got into such a stew1 the poor old chap1 that what with his mighty exertions to overcome the difficulty1 he fell flat down1 and ,i took him for certain dead4 ,howbeit ,i had a great beaker of the choicest wine brought him1 since there was no such great risk in leaving the work as there was in the case of my ,perseus2 since1 too1 ,i served that most admirable of kings1 and thus had not to bother so much about the peddling trivialities of making it pay1 for however big it was it never mattered with him--,i mixed a large bumper of wine for the old man1 who was groaning away like anything1 and ,i bade him most winning-wise to drink1 ,i stretched out my hand to him and said3 #8,drink1 my father1 for in yonder furnace has entered in a devil1 who is making all the mischief1 and1 look you1 we'll just let him bide there a couple of days1 till he gets jolly well bored1 and then will we1 you and ,i together1 in the space of a three hours' firing make this metal run like so much butter1 without any exertion at all4' ,the old fellow drank1 then ,i brought him some little dainties to eat1 meat pasties they were1 nicely peppered1 and ,i made him take down four full goblets of wine4 ,he was a man quite out of the ordinary1 this1 and a most lovable old thing1 and what with my caresses and the virtue of the wine1 ,i found him soon moaning away as much with joy as he had moaned before with grief4 ,when the appointed day came the fumes had duly evaporated1 the furnace was quite ready and well heated1 in two hours we cast #aejj lbs4 of metal1 with which ,i finished certain portions that were left of my lunette of ,fontainebleau4 ,and that is why ,i insist upon your well heating the furnace1 and also upon making two little quarry stone doors#bfi at the furnace openings1 and you make in each of them two holes one and a half fingers wide respectively1 and four fingers apart from each other1 and these holes serve for the insertion of an iron fork made specially to fit into them1 with which now and again1 as need occurs1 you may open shut the doors4 ,remember1 too1 that each time new metal is to be put into the furnace it must be first put up against the doors#bgj till it becomes red hot1 for if you put it in too soon with the other metal already in1 you run the risk of cooling the latter1 so caking it1#bga much as before referred to4 ,hence the very greatest care must be taken on that point4 ,in ,paris have ,i seen craftsmen cast the most wonderful things imaginable1 and also make equally wonderful blunders4 ,and this is due to the fact that technical skill#bgb serves you up to a certain point1 but in some accident1 for instance1 you need the deeper knowledge of the principles of the art that leaves technical skill on one side1 as ,i have evidenced to you above4 ,indeed ,i may add that ,i have seen #ajj1jjj lbs4 of metal cast at one time with so much ease that ,i marvelled at it1 so great was the technical skill with which it was done2 at another time ,i saw a little error made that might easily have been remedied4 ,i stood watched whether they knew how to put it right1 and ,i saw them throw it up1 work and all1 and so lose hundreds of scudi4 ,willingly would ,i have shown them what the remedy was1 but their presumption was so huge that had they not known how to put my remedy into practice1 they would have been quite capable of saying that ,i myself was the cause of all the ruin4 ,so ,i stood mum and grew wise at their cost4 ,gentle reader1 let that suffice about furnaces and bronze casting1 and let us now turn to other branches of the art4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is interesting to note that ,biringoccio1 a professed metallurgist1 and a contemporary of ,cellini1 describing the reverberatory furnace 7reverbero7 in his celebrated metallurgical treatise #8della ,pirotechnica1' #aedj 7see above1 p4 #ajf71 the first accurate treatise of its kind1 gives fewer details than ,cellini2 he gives1 however1 diagrams which are very precious4 ,cellini's decision not to give diagrams is much to be regretted4 ,biringoccio has1 however1 the following among other drawings of reverberatories4 ,it serves to show what ,cellini's furnaces would have been in sectional plan4 ,the letters are mine4 ,it will be observed that no chimney is shown4 ,illustration3 ,biringoccio's ,furnace from the #8,pirotechnica' ,a4 ,,fire ,,bars ,,with ,,ash ,,pit ,,under4 ,b4 ,,furnace ,,bed4 ,c4 ,,fire ,,door4 ,d4 ,,fire ,,bridge4 ,,footnotes3 #bee ,l'altezza della volta di detta fornace si era il mezzo tondo della pianta della sua rotondita4 #bef ,see note1 p4 #acc4 #beg ,spalle4 #beh ,porte4 #bei ,literally1 a knife4 #bfj ,pietre morte4 #bfa ,levato il fondo in capo3 perhaps better rendered as the base blown up to the top4 #bfb ,in modern language1 reverberate4 #bfc ,dove la muove4 #bfd ,pulitamente sbavato3 perhaps1 well rounded off4 #bfe ,spalle4 #bff ,that is what would now be called the fire bridge4 #bfg ,gorbia4 #bfh ,agghiada4 #bfi ,sportelletti4 #bgj ,in su li sportelletti4 #bga ,fare un migliaccio4 #bgb ,la pratica4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,how ,,to ,,carve ,,statues ,,or ,,intaglios1 ,,or ,,other ,,works1 ,,such ,,as ,,divers ,,beasts1 ,,in ,,marble ,,or ,,other ,,stones4 ,there are many kinds of white marble1 since those of ,greece are the most desired1#bgc and the loveliest1 let us consider them first4 ,and well may ,i speak1 for ,i spent some twenty years in the wondrous city of ,rome1 and while there1 though ,i gave my attention to the craft of the goldsmith1 ,i always had a desire to do some great works in marble2 ,i worked along of some of the first sculptors that lived in those days2 and among them that ,i knew best was our great ,michaelangelo ,buonaroti1 the ,florentine1 the man that wrought better in marble than any other ever known4 ,of the reason of this ,i shall duly speak to you in its place4 ,let us tell1 then1 in the same way as we did before in other matters1 of the qualities of marbles4 ,i have seen five or more different sorts of marble4 ,the first of these has a very coarse grain1#bgd and in the grain appear certain bright points running close along side of each other4 ,this marble is the most difficult of all to work1 because it is the hardest2 it is particularly difficult to fashion the more delicate forms in it without the chisel damaging or cracking them2 if you do manage1 though after much effort1 to bring them off in this stone1 they look lovely4 ,i have found that the grain gradually softens through the five different sorts above-mentioned1 the softest of all ,i have found verging in colour to a delicate flesh tint rather than a white4 ,this sort is the most cohesive1 the most beautiful and the tenderest marble in the world to work in4 ,,footnotes3 #bgc ,piu orientali4 #bgd ,grana grossissima4 ,illustration3 ,the ,crucifix in the ,escurial ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,of ,,carrara ,,marbles4 ,these marbles are again of several different sorts4 ,some are coarse-grained with plenty of stains1#bge and spotted with black2 these are very difficult to work in because the particular kind of stains they have in them eats into the workman's chisels4 ',tis bad luck to him if he happens on one of such stained blocks2 for many times they deceive you with a lovely surface outside1 while within are all these blots4 ,at ,carrara and in the mountains round are many different quarries1 and here our great ,michaelangelo came himself and spent much time and labour in choosing the quarry from which came all the great statues of his hand in the sacristy of ,st4 ,lorenzo1 that he made for ,pope ,clement4 ,let us discuss this marble a bit4 ,just as ,i kept my promise in dealing with the other branches of the art1 of illustrating from my own notable works1 so will ,i do likewise with this most noble art of sculpture4 ,indeed ,i have always held it to be most wondrous and beautiful1 and1 what is more1 a good deal easier than any of the others2 and so ,i decided to set my hand to a piece of work such as no man before had ever done4 ,the work in question was the ,crucified in marble4 ,i fashioned ,him in life size1 of noble proportions1 set him upon a cross of black marble2 this likewise was of ,carrara1 is a very difficult marble to work by reason of its being so hard and brittle4 ,i destined this work for a tomb for myself2 and ,i comforted myself with the reflection that even if the work didn't quite succeed1 at least the intention was good2 but so great was the determination that ,i put into the work1 that what with all my previous careful studies1 ,i overcame all the difficulties1 and satisfied everybody4 ,so1 though of course#bgf ,i have done lots of other works of this kind1 ,i may content myself with instancing this one alone in illustration of marble4 ,to succeed with a figure in marble the art requires a good craftsman first to set up a little model about two palms high1 and in this model he carefully thinks out the pose1 making his figure draped or nude as the case may be4 ,after this he makes a second model of the size his marble is to be2 if he wants it to be particularly good he must finish the large model much more carefully than the small one4 ,if1 however1 he be pressed for time1 or if it be the will of his patron who needs the work in a hurry1 it will suffice if he complete his big model in the manner of a good sketch1 for this may be quickly done1 whereas the working out in marble takes a long time4 ,true it is that many strong men have gone straight for the marble with all the fury of the chisel1 preferring to work merely from a small and well designed model1 but1 notwithstanding1 they have been less satisfied with their final piece than they would have been in working from a full size model4 ,this was noticeable in the case of our ,donatello1 who was a very great man1 and even with the wondrous ,michaelangelo1 who worked in both ways4 ,but it is perfectly well known that when his fine genius felt the insufficiency of small models1 he set to work with the greatest humbleness to make models of the size of his marble2 and this have we seen with our own eyes in the ,sacristy of ,st4 ,lorenzo4 ,when you are satisfied with your model you draw the principal views of your statue on to the stone1 and mind it be well drawn1 for if not you may miscut your block4 ,the best method ,i ever saw was the one that ,michaelangelo used2 when you have drawn on your principal view you begin to chisel it round as if you wanted to work a half relief1 and thus gradually it comes to be cut out4 ,the best chisels for doing this are those that have got1 ,i might say1 very fine points1 but the handles of which are at least as small as the little finger4 ,with this chisel1 subbia1 you approach to within at least half a finger of what is called the penultima pelle1 the last skin but one2 then you take a chisel1 scarpello1 with a notch in the middle of it1#bgg and carry on the work further till it be ready for the file1 lima1 this file again is called the lima raspa1 or roughing file1 or occasionally scuffina4 ,there are ever so many sorts of this tool2 there is the blade-shaped file1 the semi-circular file1 and others of varying sizes1 five or six of them1 from such as are two fingers thick to such as are the thickness of a very slender penholder4 ,stone borers1 trapani1 too1 may be employed wherever you have to undercut any difficult piece of drapery1 or any pose of the figure that stands free4 ,these borers are of two kinds1 one that you turn by means of a thong and a handle with a hole through it2 with this you can do all the more delicate and minute interstices in hair or drapery2 the other is larger and called the trapano apetto1 which you use in those parts for which the first is inapplicable4 ,when the chisels1 whether subbie or scarpelli1 the files1 and the borers have all done their work to the due completing of your figure1 you proceed to polish the surface with a fine white1 close-grained pumice stone4 ,i must not omit to say for the guidance of those who are unskilled in working marble1 that they may strike boldly in with their subbie2 for the more delicate subbia1 provided it be not inserted straight into the stone1 does not crack the marble1 but just chips off as lightly as possible whatever may be necessary2 while with the scarpello a tacca the rough edges may then be brought to an even plane1 you go over the work with it just as if you were making a drawing for the surface4 ,and this truly is the right method1 and the one which the great ,michaelangelo employed4 ,some have tried other ways1 and thinking to have their work done quicker have sought to get their figure out by taking a bit off first in one place and then in another1 but it took them all the longer in the end1 and wasn't near so good2 and indeed they mightily mistook1 for oftentimes they had to piece up their figures1 and yet with all their patching and piecing they could not remedy the mistakes which a want of discipline#bgh and patience at the outset had led them into4 ,gladly would ,i go on to describe the various kinds of subbie1 scarpelli1 and trapani1 and likewise the mallets1 all of which are of iron tempered1 or of the very finest steel2 but as everybody in ,italy1 nowadays1 knows all about these things it really isn't necessary4 ,had ,i been writing in ,france ,i should have described another sort of stone which is very soft to work in1 also white1 but not the brilliant white of marble1 rather a dull white4 ,this stone1 after it is first quarried1 is so soft and easy to work1 that some masters1 especially those of ,paris1 and ,i too1 while there1 wrought it with wooden chisels1 only we notched them in various ways in order the easier to cut the work out according to the sketch4 ,after this it was finished with delicate and close chisels1 pointed tools#bgi and scarpelli of all sorts4 ,this stone1 in course of time1 hardened almost like marble1 especially its external surface1 but ,i never saw any that came up to marble when it was cleaned4 ,the ancients1 you know1 had so great a joy in things of this kind that they paid their sculptors with fine liberality1 and so they came to investigate the most difficult things2 amongst others they wrought in a sort of green stone1 often nowadays called ,greek stone1 of the hardness of agate or chalcedony4 ,now though ,i have seen fair sized figures in this stone1 ,i have never been able to imagine how it was worked1 for1 though it admits of being smoothed with lead#bhj and emery for the purpose of pavements and such things1 ,i can only conceive that for carving figures out of it the ancient masters must have had some secret of tempering their steel1 and so were enabled to overcome the stone's tremendous hardness4 ,there are yet other kinds of stone of which ,i have in ,rome seen statues1 both many and great1 serpentine and porphyry1 but more of porphyry1 for the stone is somewhat softer4 ,up to our own day there was no one who worked in this stone1 till one of our ,fiesol carvers took it up1 his name was ,francesco del ,tadda4 ,this man with a fine cunning found out the way of working in porphyry4 ,his patience was great1 he used little hammers1 martelleti1 sharpened like chisels1 subbie1 and other scarpelletti1 which he tempered by a special process of his own4#bha ,francesco made ,porphyry busts just as fine as the ancients4 ,had he been equally strong in designing he might have done over life size work too1 but let it suffice that he has the credit of being the first among moderns to practise this art4 ,would that his example might inspire all who have great work at heart1 princely patrons as well as artists6 ,we have yet another kind of stone which is called granite4 ,it is somewhat softer than porphyry and there are two kinds1 the one is red and comes from the ,east1 the other is white or black comes from the quarries at ,elba2 it is very hard to work4 ,the column of ,santa ,trinita that came to ,florence from ,rome is of this sort4 ,moreover it is durable and beautiful1 but no statues have been made from this stone in our time4 ,there are still some other stones that must not be passed over1 stones that we get from near ,florence1 ,fiesol1 ,settignano and other places4 ,of these1 there is one of a blue colour1 very delicate1 as charming to work in as to look at1 the country folk call it pietra serena4 ,great columns are made of it1 because it is found in large masses in the quarry1 statues are made of it too2 but it is no good for open-air use1 for though it is beautiful it has no durability4 ,another sort a veritable quarry stone#bhb is the tan-coloured4 ,it is soft to work in1 statues are made of it1 and it is so durable that it will resist all effects of wind and weather4 ,yet another sort1 and this likewise a tan-coloured variety1 is called the pietra forte1 the #8strong stone1' strong it is indeed1 for it is desperately hard to work in1 statues1 weapons1 masks1 many other things are made of it4 ,you cannot1 however1 quarry it in very great pieces as you can the ,fiesol or ,settignano varieties4 ,i have mentioned these three sorts of stone because statues may be made in them4 ,there are many others in and around ,florence1 beautifully marked stones1 some hard1 some soft1 but as they are not used for figure work1 ,i shall have no more to say about them4 ,,footnotes3 #bge ,smerigli4 #bgf ,see #8,vita1' p4 #dge1 etc41 and note4 ,this crucifix is in the ,church of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 in the ,escurial4 ,i give an illustration of it opposite4 #bgg ,con una tacca in mezzo4 #bgh ,ubbidienzia4 #bgi ,gorbie4 #bhj ,il piombe4 #bha ,altri scarpelletti pur fatti con sue tempere4 #bhb ,pietra morta4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,a ,,disquisition ,,on ,,colossal ,,statues1 ,,whether ,,moderately ,,or ,,very ,,great4 ,most gracious of readers1 forasmuch as ,i have always promised to illustrate my words with instances from my own created works1 ,i would like now to tell you of another branch of the subject1 and one that is both the most difficult and the most admirable of any so far described2 allow me then to make the following digression1 so that those who read may have means of pondering it well4 ,i mean colossi2 not necessarily the very great ones1 because whenever a statue is three times bigger than life size it may be termed a colossus4 ,i have seen plenty of such1 both ancient and modern4 ,but of the very great ones ,i have only seen one1 and that was in ,rome2 it was in many pieces1 ,i saw the head1 feet1 part of the legs and other fragments of its great limbs4 ,upon measuring the head1 which was standing upright and without the neck1 ,i found as ,i stood alongside it that it came up to my nipples1 so that it would measure more than two a half ,florentine cubits1 the complete statue therefore must have been about twenty cubits high4 ,when ,i served the great ,king ,francis1--it must have been about the year #aedj1--knowing his consummate taste and his delight in everything rare and masterful1 knowing1 too1 that such an object had never yet been fashioned by any living artist1 ,i made among the other works before-mentioned a model for a fountain at ,fontainebleau1 or as one might translate it #8,fontana ,belio1' #8the fountain of fine waters4' ,this model was square in form1 and in the middle of the square was a square base rising four cubits above the water4 ,it was richly ornamented with many pleasing designs1 and devices appropriate to the ,king and to the fountain4 ,upon the base was a figure representing the ,god ,mars1 and at the four corners were figures having reference all of them to his ,majesty4 ,when ,i showed it to the ,king it was to a smaller scale1 but in its full size the central figure would have been forty cubits high1 the side figures being proportionately smaller4 ,when the ,king saw the model he examined it a long while with the greatest satisfaction1 and then asked me of the central figure4 ,it was a ,god of ,war1 ,i said1 and hence most appropriate to his ,majesty4 ,then he asked me of the other figures4 ,they represented1 ,i said1 the four virtues in which he especially delighted4 ,just as the central figure betokened the glory of arms1 so did this one at the corner represent the glory of letters2 this one again sculpture1 painting1 and architecture2 the next music and every sort of musical harmony2 while the last personified liberality1 the cause1 mainspring foster-mother of all the other virtues1 and one that was most abundant in his ,majesty4 ,his ,majesty promptly gave me the commission to proceed with the work1 which ,i did1 inspired by his delightful encouragement and with abundance of all sorts of things placed at my service4 ,after the careful completion of my little model1 as it did not seem to me possible to retain all the proper proportions if ,i worked direct from it into the full size1 ,i determined to make another model three times the size of the small one1--about the stature of a well-formed man therefore4 ,this model ,i made in gesso1 so that it should the better resist the much handling that is inevitable from frequent measuring4 ,after setting up the iron skeleton ,i covered it with gesso1 and finished it beautifully1 putting more care and detail into it than the little one4 ,i would take this opportunity1 gentle reader1 of bidding you bear in mind that all the really great masters have followed life1 but the point is that you must have a fine judgment to know how the best of life is to be put into your work1 you must always be on the look out for beautiful human beings1 and from among them choose the most beautiful1 not only so1 you must from among even these choose the most beautiful parts1 and so shall your whole composition become an abstraction of what is beautiful4 ,so alone may work be created1 that shall be evident at once as the labour of men both exquisite in judgment and humble in study4 ,such men are rare6 ,now such zeal had ,i1 and so many conveniences were placed at my service by that most liberal ,king ,francis1 that ,i brought this three-sized model of mine to completion2 not only was ,i satisfied with it myself1 but it pleased everybody who knew what good work was4 ,truly great ,art is infinite1 the more study you put into your work the easier it is for you to see its blemishes than others1 but for all that it is sometimes good to cry #8hold1 enough6' even to one's own work1 so meseemed here ,i ought to content me1 and therefore ,i arranged for setting my work up in due order from the scale model to the final forty cubits4 ,this was how ,i went about it4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,making ,,great ,,colossi4 ,to begin with1 then1 ,i divided the model1 which was to be translated from three cubits to forty1 into forty small parts1 each of these parts again ,i divided into twenty-four parts4 ,but as ,i knew that this method alone would not suffice to arrive at the requisite size1 ,i devised another method1 a method entirely my own1 never invented by anyone before1 the outcome of my own great researches4 ,as ,i am always generously inclined1 ,i will impart it to such as have good work at heart4 ,it is this3 ,i took four square pieces of wood measuring respectively three fingers each way1 they were very straight1 and planed nice and smooth1 and they were exactly the height of my figure4 ,these ,i fixed into the ground1 plumbing them absolutely straight1 and at such distance from the figure as to admit of a man entering in between2 they were then match-boarded#bhc all round1 the boards being likewise perfectly straight1 a small opening at the back to enter by4 ,up against this match-boarding ,i began making my measurements1 then ,i drew out on the floor of a long room a profile#bhd of the whole statue1 forty cubits in size4 ,finding this plan work out with delightful accuracy1 ,i proceeded next to make a skeleton three cubits high1 similar to that of the model4 ,this skeleton was all joined together with pieces of wood1 fastened respectively to a very straight rod1 the latter served for the left leg1 upon which my figure rested4 ,i took the measurements of the body of the figure off the case1 making allowance in doing so for the thickness of the flesh and bone work it had subsequently to be clothed with4 ,thereupon ,i erected a great mast forty cubits high in the centre of the court of my castle1 and round it ,i set up four other masts just as ,i had done it with the model1 and these also ,i cased round with match-boarding just as ,i had done the small model4 ,then ,i joined together the life size skeleton1 taking the measurements exactly from the small skeleton1 for every little piece a large piece1 and so marking off every measurement of every part of my figure proportionately from one case on to the other4 ,had ,i scaled the work off in the usual way ,i should have had no end of difficulties1 but this method of mine with the cases avoided all that1 and ,i got as fine a proportion in my life size as in my small figures4 ,now as my figure was posed upon the left foot1 and had the right foot resting on a helmet1 ,i so arranged the skeleton as to make it possible to get inside the helmet climb easily through the foot right up into the head4 ,the skeleton completed1 ,i clothed it in flesh1 that is to say in gesso1 and laid it on rapidly in the same manner4 ,when ,i had got the work completed to the last skin but one1 ,i had the front of the casing opened1 and stepped back to view it some forty cubits1 which was as much as there was room for in my court-yard4 ,everybody was delighted with the result1 not only connoisseurs1 many of whom came to see1 but1 what was much more important1 ,i myself1 who had given so much labour towards its fulfilment4 ,what pleased me most1 however1 was the fact that there was not the slightest discrepancy between the small and the large model4 ,by this method of mine ,i set working a number of labourers people unskilled in the profession1 it wasn't in the least necessary for them to know what they were doing4 ,indeed so masterly is my invention that nothing but patience and diligence are needed1 for the rest you may be a perfect ignoramus in the art1 and not even the hand of a ,michaelangelo help you4 ,in a colossus of this kind the masses of muscle1 c41 are so huge that it is impossible to take them in from the ordinary point of vision1 which one may put at twice the length of a man2 if you approach the figure at arm's length in order to work it you see nothing2 if1 on the other hand1 you go a long way off you do see a little more1 but still not enough to remedy the great errors that must arise4 ,you see1 therefore1 that without this method of mine it is impossible to carry out a large colossus with fine proportions4 ,truly1 many a statue of ten cubits high has been spoilt by some blunder or other2 and ,i really think that not even statues of six cubits high can be properly made without this method of mine4 ,of course it is quite conceivable that just as ,i have discovered this method so some greater genius than ,i may discover a better one still2 but then it's always easy to improve a patent6 ,when the ,king came to ,paris1 he lay1 as was his wont1 at his castle1 the ,logro 7the ,louvre72 it was opposite my castle of ,little ,nello1 for there was only the ,seine in between4 ,i crossed the river and waited upon his ,majesty4 ,he was quite charming to me1 and asked me if ,i had anything lovely to show him4 ,i replied that as for the loveliness ,i wasn't so sure1 but ,i had done some work with great study and with all the devotion that so noble an art demanded1 and that if it was good it was due to him who allowed me to want for nothing1 such freehandedness being the only way of getting the best work done4 ,to this the ,king yeasaid me1 and the day following he came to my house4 ,after ,i had shown him a variety of different work ,i made him enter the court-yard1 placing him at the point whence my great statue told to the best advantage4 ,he obeyed me with the greatest condescension and the most perfect breeding2#bhe and1 indeed1 never have ,i met any prince who had such a wonderful way with him4 ,now while ,i was conversing with his ,majesty ,i ordered ,ascanio1 my pupil1 to let the curtain down4 ,instantly the ,king raised his hands spoke in my praise the most complimentary words that human tongue ever uttered4 ,after which1 turning to ,monsignor d',aniballe1#bhf #8,i command you1' he said1 most emphatically1 #8to give the first good fat ,abbey that falls vacant to our ,benvenuto1 for ,i do not want my kingdom to be deprived of his like4' ,at this ,i bowed deeply and thanked the ,king1 while he1 well satisfied1 went back to his castle4 ,now knew ,i what pleasure my labour caused this great ,king1 encouragement brought encouragement1 and ,i set to yet greater labours still4 ,i took #cj lbs4 of silver of my own money gave it to two of my workmen1 with the designs and the models to make two large vases of4 ,as it was a time of great wars ,i had asked no money of the ,king1 and also left untouched six months of my salary4 ,setting to work lustily at my own vases1 ,i finished them in a month's time1 and set out with them to find the ,king who was in a city by the sea called ,argentana4 ,when ,i gave him the vases he was most engaging1 said3 #8,be of good heart1 my ,benvenuto1 for ,i am one that both can will reward your labours better than anyone else in the world4' ,to which ,i replied that from earliest recollections my mightiest labours had been the discovery application of my method relating to the founding of great colossi2 that now1 thanks to ,god1 my model had come up to my expectations1 that the casting had now to be considered1 and that this would have to be done in over one hundred separate pieces1 fitted together with swallow-tail joints4 ,nor would it be very difficult for us to do1 as ,i had already devised a skeleton of iron upon which to attach the various portions of the colossus as ,i cast them1 commencing at the feet and piece by piece fitting them together up to the head4 ,the only difficulty would be the putting together of the iron skeleton2 but this1 too1 ,i would take credit for surmounting1 observing the same process as ,i had carried out previously in the wooden one4 ,it would be necessary1 then1 for me to fix the first rods of the skeleton straightway into their final position1 that is to say1 at his ,majesty's residence at ,fontainebleau1 where ,i should have to be provided with a room sufficiently large for the purpose4 ,to this the ,king replied that1 if there were no other rooms suitable to my purpose1 he would give up to me his own private apartment1 so great was his desire to see a work of this kind finished4 ,i might take courage1 then1 and be of a light heart1 and1 he added1 ,i might return to ,paris to this end4 ,the two big vases were standing on the table before his ,majesty1 as he was fingering and praising them1 ,i preferred the request to him that1 as the time was opportune1 it being the time of war1 he would grant me permission to return for four months to ,italy1 to revisit my fatherland1 my relatives friends4 ,at these words of mine his ,majesty grew very sour of aspect1 and turned to me1 saying1 #8,i wish you to gild these two vases from top to bottom with dull gilding6' ,this remark he repeated twice1 and then rose quickly from the table and said nothing further4 ,by #8dull' ,i fancied he meant two things3 firstly1 that ,i was a #8dull fool' to ask such a liberty2 secondly1 that the gold on the vases was to be left unburnished4 ,when his ,majesty had withdrawn ,i begged the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 to whom was entrusted the duty of looking after me1 to procure the leave for me4 ,the ,cardinal bade me go back to ,paris1 and that he would let me know what ,i should do4 ,in the space of a fortnight he sent word by one of his servants that ,i could go1 but that ,i should return as soon as possible4 ,i praised ,god and set out4 ,of the property in my castle ,i took absolutely nothing with me1 neither the stuffs nor the house furniture1 the silver nor the gold1 nor the embossed vases1 nor any of the other works made independently of the agreements entered into with the ,king1 works all of them carried out by my workmen and paid for by me4 ,the great works enumerated in this book1 and made for the ,king1 his ,majesty had himself valued at over #af1jjj scudi4 ,i not unnaturally thought that1 as ,i had not only taken nothing1 but was likewise a creditor for so large a treasure1 ,i should come back quick enough4 ,so ,i came to ,italy and reached ,florence my native city1 went to ,poggio in ,caiano1 and shook hands with the grand ,duke ,cosimo1 and he received me very charmingly4 ,two days after1 the grand ,duke gave me an order to make a small model for a ,perseus1 which was most gratifying to me1 two months sufficed to do it in4 ,when his ,excellency saw it he was beyond measure pleased1 he said to me in the presence of a number of gentlemen3 #8,had you the courage to carry out the work as finely in a great piece as here in your little model1 it would be the grandest work on the ,piazza4' ,to these gratifying words ,i replied3 #8,my lord1 in the ,piazza are works by ,donatello and the great ,michaelangelo1 both of them men that in the glory of their works have beaten the ancients2 as for me ,i have the courage to execute this work to the size of five cubits1 and in so doing make it ever so much better than the model4' ,at this there was no end of argumentation4 ,now1 as the war was still raging hotly in ,france1 ,i thought ,i should have plenty of time to cast one at least of the two figures4#bhg ,but when they heard in ,france that ,i was working in ,florence for the grand ,duke ,cosimo1 his ,majesty took it very ill indeed1 and he said on several occasions3 #8,didn't ,i tell ,benvenuto that he was a dull fool8' ,upon which the ,cardinal of ,ferrara did me a bad turn and made matters worse1 so that in the end the ,king said he would never call me back again4 ,all this was notified to me in writing on behalf of the ,king4 ,to this ,i replied that what alone troubled me was leaving so great a work unfinished1 but that ,i should never think of going anywhere where ,i wasn't called4 ,and so it came about that what with the encouragement of his ,excellency ,i set to work to get my ,perseus through4 ,after some time1 it must have been several months1 the ,king relented1 and1 discussing the matter with the ,cardinal of ,ferrara1 said to him that it had been a great mistake ever to have let me go4 ,the ,cardinal replied that it needed but a wink to fetch me back again4 ,to this the ,king said that it was the ,cardinal's duty to have prevented it2 instantly turning to one of his treasurers1 by name ,giuliano ,buonaccorsi1 one of our ,florentines1 said to him3 #8,send ,benvenuto #f1jjj scudi1 tell him to come back and finish his great colossus1 and ,i'll make it up with him4' ,the treasurer wrote to me all about his ,majesty's making it up1 but he didn't send any coin1 saying1 however1 that upon hearing my reply he would at once give the order for the money4 ,to this ,i1 on my part1 replied that ,i was quite ready would make it up too4 ,in the midst of these negotiations to and fro1 the good ,king departed this life2 thus was ,i deprived of the glory of my great work1 the reward of all my labours1 and of everything that ,i had left behind me4 ,so ,i set to work to finish my ,perseus4 ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,treatise ,,on ,,sculpture4 ,,footnotes3 #bhc ,soppannata4 #bhd ,proffilo4 #bhe ,virt4 ,see also ,brinckmans rendering3 #8,als grsserer ,liebhaber der schnen ,knste4' #bhf ,claude d',annebault1 ,marechal de ,france4 #bhg ,the ,perseus and the ,medusa4 ,,the ,,glossary ,,here ,,following ,,does ,,not ,,profess ,,in ,,any ,,sense ,,to ,,be ,,complete1 ,,nor ,,are ,,the ,,words ,,in ,,it ,,to ,,be ,,regarded ,,as ,,bearing ,,only ,,the ,,signification ,,given ,,in ,,each ,,case3 ,,the ,,attempt1 ,,however1 ,,is ,,to ,,render ,,cellini',s ,,meaning ,,in ,,the ,,treatises ,,and ,,autobiography1 ,,as ,i ,,have ,,understood ,,it4 ,a ,,glossary ,,of ,,italian ,,technical ,,terms ,,for ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,students4 ,the references1 where given1 are to the paging respectively of the ,trattati 7,tra47 and the ,vita 7,v472 the former to the ,italian of ,milanesi1 #aheg edition1 the latter to ,symonds' ,translation1 #ahic edition4 ,where ,i have adopted ,symonds' definition of a word ,i have acknowledged it with an 7,s474 ,,abbassare3 to bring or hammer down1 as of relief work in metal4 ,tra4 #adc4 ,,accettare3 to accept or take2 of the accepting of metal from the gesso or clay mould4 ,in ,tra4 #afd1 ,cellini describes how the metal accepts better when the clay is fatty from decomposition4 ,,acconciare3 to set4 ,tra4 #dj4 ,see also ,,serrare1 ,,legare4 ,,acqua3 the water of a diamond4 ,tra4 #fj1 #fe4 ,,acqua ,,da ,,partire3 see ,,partire4 ,,acqua ,,di ,,dragante3 see ,,dragante4 ,,acqua ,,forte3 aquafortis in its various uses4 ,see ,tra4 #ca1 #adi1 #aee4 ,,acquaio3 a pipe for carrying off water4 ,tra4 #agc4 ,see ,,cannonetto4 ,,acqua ,,marina3 the aquamarine4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,acqua ,,morta3 urine4 ,v4 #bhb4 ,,acquereccia3 a large metal ewer for holding water4 ,tra4 #acj4 ,,affare3 to make1 to tell well1 to give a good effect1 as of a well-set stone4 ,tra4 #da4 ,,affaticarsi3 to wear2 of the wear and tear of the dies in stamping4 ,tra4 #abc4 ,more generally1 to be affected by4 ,tra4 #ahf4 ,,affinare3 to fine1 of gold4 ,tra4 #aef4 ,,affumare3 to besmoke1 as with a candle or lamp flame4 ,tra4 #ajb1 #ajc4 ,for substantive ,cellini uses spolverezzo4 ,,agghiadare3 to curdle1 to stiffen2 of metal when it does not fuse4 ,tra4 #aib4 ,,alietta3 a wing or bracket of iron to strengthen the frame that holds the dies for stamping4 ,tra4 #abb4 ,,alitare3 to blow or kindle with the bellows4 ,tra4 #abd4 ,,allacciare3 to fasten4 ,tra4 #hj4 ,,allume ,,di ,,rocca3 rock alum4 ,tra4 #aee4 ,probably sulphate of alumina from alum shale4 ,,alzare3 to stand or be bossed up4 ,tra4 #ie4 ,,amatista3 amethyst4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,amatita ,,nera3 a hmatite stone4 ,tra4 #di4 ,,amatita ,,rossa3 see ,,matita4 ,,ancudine1 ,,ancudinetta1 ,,ancudinuzza3 an anvil1 or more usually a stake head for hammer work4 ,,anello3 a ring2 anello del granchio4 ,a metal ring of lead or copper1 now worn in ,italy under the name anello di salute 7,s474 ,,anima3 the core or inner block of a cire perdue casting4 ,tra4 #afe4 ,v4 #a4 ,,appiccato3 standing or picked out2 of a figure from its field4 ,tra4 #gh4 ,,appomiciato3 treated with pumice1 as of metal work for the final cleaning4 ,tra4 #ade4 ,,aprire3 a term employed in enamelling to express the effect of a firing upon red enamel1 when the same turns to a yellow scarce distinguishable from gold4 ,tra4 #ce4 ,,archimista3 an alchemist4 ,,archipenzolo3 a geometrical plane4 ,tra4 #bje4 ,,arena ,,di ,,tufo3 a tufa earth4 ,tra4 #ajb4 ,,argano3 a windlass4 ,tra4 #agc4 ,v4 #dbj4 ,,argento ,,vivo3 mercury4 ,tra4 #adg4 ,,armadura3 a framework1 such as would admit of the model of a large statue being built upon it4 ,tra4 #bjf4 ,,arrenare3 to treat with sand or sand-paper4 ,tra4 #gf4 ,,arruotare3 to polish or burnish1 as of dies upon a smooth stone4 ,tra4 #aaa4 ,,artiglierie 7,,maestro ,,di73 ordnance founders4 ,tra4 #afc4 ,,assotigliare3 to softly polish over1 as of enamel with sandstone4 ,tra4 #ce4 ,see ,,frasinella4 ,,asta3 the hasp or handle of a chisel4 ,tra4 #aih4 ,,avvivatoio1 also ,,isvivatoio3 a metal rod with a wooden handle used for polishing rings1 and applying mercury gilding4 ,tra4 #adi4 ,v4 #beb4 ,,bacinella3 a mortar4 ,tra4 #cj4 ,,bagno 7,,condotto ,,in73 a bath1 i4e41 of bronze brought to the liquid state4 ,tra4 #agh4 ,,balascia1 ,,balascio3 the balas ruby4 ,tra4 #ch1 #ej4 ,,barila3 a measure of about #dj litres2 #bj ,florentine wine flasks4 ,tra4 #aai4 ,,battiloro3 a gold beater4 ,tra4 #abe4 ,,bava1 ,,bavetta1 ,,bavuccia3 roughness2 the rough edges of a casting4 ,tra4 #abj1 #abi1 #agd4 ,,berillo3 the beryl4 ,tra4 #fc4 ,,biacca3 white lead4 ,tra4 #aaf4 ,,bianchimento3 blanching solution4 ,,bianchire1 to use this solution1 or more generally to clean or whiten silver4 ,tra4 #dh1 #adf1 #adi4 ,see also ,,grommata4 ,,bietta3 a wedge of iron1 such as is used for fastening the dies into the frame for minting4 ,tra4 #abb4 ,or of wood for tightening up a plaster mould4 ,tra4 #afg4 ,,bocca3 a mouth2 the lip of a jug2 the channel in which to pour the metal in a casting1 c4 ,,bocca ,,principale1 the main entrance4 ,,bocca ,,della ,,spina1 the mouth of the plug1 from which the molten metal flows into the mould4 ,,bocca ,,del ,,martello1 the thick end of a hammer4 ,tra4 #aca4 ,,boccia3 a retort2 an alembic4 ,tra4 #aef4 ,,bocetta3 a flask or bottle4 ,tra4 #ae4 ,,bolo ,,armenio 7,,terra ,,di73 bole of ,armenia1 a red earth used for gilding grounds1 c4 ,tra4 #aaa4 ,,bolso3 blunted4 ,tra4 #aca4 ,,bordellerie3 lumber 7,s474 ,v4 #ci4 ,large1 clumsy rubbish4 ,,borrace3 borax4 ,tra4 #ag4 ,,borraciere3 a borax crucible or pan4 ,tra4 #bj1 #gc4 ,,bottone3 a button or clasp1 or more specially a morse4 ,tra4 #di1 #hj1 #hi4 ,,bozza3 a sketch4 ,tra4 #aig4 ,,bracciaiuola3 a pit beneath the grating to receive the ashes from the furnace4 ,v4 #dbc2 ,tra4 #aia4 ,,braccio3 a cubit1 i4e41 about #dh inches4 ,,breve3 a trinket in the nature of a locket4 ,tra4 #bj4 ,,brunire3 to burnish2 the process of burnishing as in niello4 ,tra4 #ah1 #aec4 ,,brunitoio1 a burnisher1 usually of tempered steel4 ,tra4 #ah4 ,,bulino3 a graver4 ,tra4 #ac4 ,,caccianfuori3 snarling irons1 a species of small stakes for repouss work4 ,tra4 #if1 #acd4 ,,calcidonio3 chalcedony4 ,tra4 #fg4 ,,caldanuzzo3 a pan or brazier4 ,tra4 #eh4 ,,caldare3 a large vessel used for the blanching solution4 ,tra4 #eh4 ,,calderone3 a cauldron4 ,tra4 #af1 #aej4 ,,caldo3 a cooling1 e4g41 dare un caldo4 ,tra4 #abd2 as of enamel work from the furnace4 ,,camicia3 the coat or vest of wax drawn over the baked clay mould in a cire perdue casting2 or the mould generally4 ,tra4 #afb4 ,,camosciare3 a method employed in embossing metal by working over the backgrounds with a broken steel tool2 what we should call #8matting' or #8frosting4' ,tra4 #ib4 ,,campo3 the field or background of a piece of work4 ,tra4 #gf1 #ia4 ,,canale3 the channel through which the metal flows in a casting4 ,tra4 #age4 ,also1 in other uses1 an ingot mould4 ,tra4 #dh1 #age4 ,,canapo3 rope4 ,tra4 #agc2 ,v4 #dbj4 ,,cannella1 ,,cannello3 ,tra4 #agj4 ,see ,,canale4 ,,cannone1 ,,cannonetto3 tubes or pipes of metal or earthenware4 ,tra4 #agc1 #agd4 ,,cappa ,,di ,,frati3 a grey colour of that name4 ,tra4 #cc4 ,,carato3 a carat2 #cag grains troy4 ,tra4 #dg4 ,,carbonculo3 a carbuncle4 ,tra4 #ch4 ,,carbone 7,,misuradi73 troy weight4 ,v4 #bje4 ,,caricare3 to fill in1 or cover up2 as of enamel in its cloisons1 or gold on metal2 also more generally1 to load or weight4 ,tra4 #be1 #agc4 ,,cartone3 cartoon4 ,v4 xlix4 ,,castagnuolo3 chestnut wood4 ,,castone3 the bezel2 or more generally1 setting of a stone4 ,tra4 #dj4 ,,catinelletta3 a little vessel4 ,tra4 #acf4 ,,catinotto3 an earthen pot4 ,tra4 #abe4 ,,cavo3 a mould4 ,,cenerata3 a brew of charcoal1 usually from oak1 in boiling water1 for cleaning niello work1 c4 ,tra4 #af4 ,,ceppo3 an anvil stock4 ,tra4 #acd4 ,also of a wooden block for striking coins on4 ,tra4 #aai4 ,,cervona3 see ,,colla ,,cervona4 ,,cesello1 ,,cesellino1 ,,ceselletto3 a punch4 ,,cesellare3 to work with the punch4 ,passim4 ,,chermisi3 ,kermes4 ,tra4 #db4 ,,chiavaquore3 a trinket in the shape of a key2 a hearts key4 ,v4 #bg4 ,,chiocciola1 ,,chioccioletta3 the female of the screw2 or more generally1 a spiral2 also a snail or scroll in design4 ,tra4 #ib1 #abb1 #acb4 ,,ciappola1 ,,ciappoleta1 ,,ciappolina3 a chisel2 sometimes a sculper4 ,tra4 #ic4 ,see ,,graffiare4 ,,ciborio3 pyx2 a vessel for holding the ,eucharist4 ,v4 #acb4 ,,cimatura3 cloth shavings or frayings4 ,,cimento3 cement2 of the royal cement1 the recipe for the making of which is described4 ,tra4 #aef4 ,,ciotolina3 a beaker4 ,tra4 #ag1 #ba4 ,,citrini1 ,,citrino3 citron quartz4 ,tra4 #fe4 ,,coglionerie3 gewgaws1 shoddy trifles4 ,v4 #ci4 ,,colla3 a gum or glue as of pear or quince seeds4 ,tra4 #cg4 ,,colla ,,cervona3 a glue made of stag's horn4 ,tra4 #aed4 ,,colla ,,di ,,pesce3 fish glue4 ,,colmetta3 bent or curved1 of the sheet of gold to be hammered over bronze in the method of ,caradosso4 ,tra4 #gb4 ,,compartimento3 a cloison in enamel2 or a division in filigree4 ,tra4 #bd4 ,,conciare3 to cut or polish stones4 ,tra4 #ea4 ,,conciatore3 a stone cutter4 ,tra4 #ff4 ,,conficcare3 to clamp4 ,tra4 #abh4 ,,congegnare3 to nail4 ,tra4 #abh4 ,,conii3 the dies for minting4 ,v4 #aad4 ,,coniare3 the process of striking with them4 ,tra4 #abj4 ,,cono3 an iron wedge used in the frame for minting4 ,tra4 #abj4 ,,coperchio3 the cap of a furnace4 ,tra4 #aha2 ,v4 #dbd4 ,,coperto3 suffused1 clouded2 used of the colour of stones4 ,tra4 #ch4 ,,coregge3 straps4 ,v4 #agb4 ,,coreggiuolo1 ,,correggioletto3 a crucible4 ,tra4 #ae1 #bi1 #abf4 ,,corna1 ,,cornetto3 a horn1 e4g41 of a caccianfuori stake4 ,tra4 #acd4 ,,corniolo3 cornel wood from which punches for delicate metal work were made4 ,tra4 #gb4 ,,corniuolo3 the carnelian4 ,tra4 #fg4 ,,correre3 to fuse or run1 of enamels in the furnace4 ,tra4 #ce4 ,,costa ,,di ,,coltello3 a knife's back1 a term of measurement1 where we should use a gauge1 e4g41 ,birmingham gauge4 ,,cuccuma3 turmeric root4 ,tra4 #aej4 ,,diguazzare3 to stir4 ,tra4 #aej4 ,,dito3 a finger1 used as a standard of measurement4 ,,dommasco3 damask4 ,tra4 #bh4 ,,doppia1 ,,doppio3 a stone artificially pieced together of several pieces4 ,tra4 #de4 ,,dragante3 gum tragacanth4 ,tra4 #ba4 ,,facette 7,a73 facetted 7a facette as distinct from a punta and in tavola in the cutting of the diamond74 ,v4 #cic2 ,tra4 #di4 ,,falsatore3 a cheat2 a dealer in false stones2 a coiner4 ,tra4 #dd1 #aac4 ,,fattoretto1 ,,fattorino3 a shop assistant4 ,tra4 #acg1 #fh4 ,,femmina3 the female screw4 ,tra4 #abb4 ,see also ,,vite ,,femmina4 ,,feretto ,,di ,,spagna3 calcined sulphate of iron 7,french1 ferret74 ,tra4 #aeb4 ,,ferramenti3 tools and appliances generally4 ,tra4 #df4 ,,ferri1 ,,ferretti1 ,,ferruzzi1 ,,ferrolini3 iron or steel tools used for various processes1 e4g41 as applied to dies for minting4 ,,fiasco3 a flask holding more than a quart4 ,v4 #ahg4 ,,fibbia3 a buckle1 brooch1 or pin4 ,tra4 #i4 ,,filetti3 the sharp lines that divide one facet from another4 ,v4 #cid4 ,,filo3 filigree4 ,,filo ,,tirato3 metal wire or thread4 ,tra4 #be4 ,,foglia3 foil2 usually of thin hammered metal for setting beneath stones1 or covering gesso models to prevent the suction of the cast4 ,tra4 #dg4 ,,fogliame1 ,,fogliametto3 foliage2 spray work4 ,tra4 #ai1 #bd1 #gi4 ,,fondere3 to cast4 ,,fondere ,,nel ,,mortaio3 a special method of casting described4 ,tra4 #abe4 ,,forbice 7,,un ,,paio ,,di71 ,,forbicine3 a pair of forceps or pliers4 ,tra4 #adg4 ,,forma3 the mould1 e4g41 for casting metal in4 ,v4 #a4 ,,formare3 to model or mould4 ,,fornace1 ,,fornacetta3 the furnace4 ,,fornello1 ,,fornelletto3 a stove4 ,,fornimento ,,da ,,cavalli3 the metal trappings of horses4 ,tra4 #abj4 ,,di ,,spada3 the inlay or damascening on swords4 ,tra4 #aee4 ,,frasconcino3 a birch rod or bundle of twigs4 ,tra4 #aej4 ,,frasinella3 a fine grained sandstone used for whetting the more delicate sorts of steel instruments and enamels2 equivalent to hone rather than to whetstone4 ,tra4 #cf4 ,,fregio3 a border or framework4 ,tra4 #ib4 ,,fummicare3 to steam4 ,tra4 #aea4 ,,fuscelletto1 ,,fuscellino3 a small twig1 or tool of wood for working wax4 ,tra4 #gc1 #aaf4 ,,fuscello3 flour dust1 described by ,cellini as gathered on the walls and cornices of mills1 and used as a paste for gilding4 ,tra4 #aed4 ,see also1 in another sense1 ,,fuscelletto4 ,,galanterie3 little devices or conceits of design4 ,tra4 #ace4 ,,galletta3 a strip1 or shaping of wire1 e4g41 in filigree work4 ,tra4 #ba4 ,,gamba1 ,,gambetto3 a claw in the setting of a stone4 ,tra4 #ec4 ,a small clamp or attachment4 ,tra4 #gi4 ,,ganghero3 a hinge4 ,tra4 #ia4 ,v4 #da4 ,,gatta3 see ,,occhio ,,di ,,gatta4 ,,gesso3 plaster of ,paris1 or one or other of the various compositions made from it with resin1 beeswax1 c4 ,cellini has ,,gesso ,,volterrano3 gesso of ,volterra4 ,tra4 #ajj4 ,,gesso ,,cotto3 ,tra4 #ajj4 ,,gesso ,,in ,,pane3 gesso in the cake4 ,tra4 #aed4 ,,gesso ,,di ,,tripolo3 see ,,tripolo4 ,,getto 7,,arte ,,del73 the art of bronze casting4 ,tra4 #g4 ,,girare3 to reverberate2 of the flame in the furnace4 ,tra4 #ahi4 ,also1 ,v4 tr4 to handle1 as of the graver1 ,,girare ,,il ,,bulino4 ,tra4 #ac4 ,,girasole3 the girasol opal4 ,tra4 #dc4 ,,gittare3 to cast 7of metal74 ,tra4 #dh1 #gf4 ,also in another sense1 to lean or verge towards1 e4g41 of the colour of marble4 ,tra4 #aie4 ,,giulio3 a ,tuscan coin of #ef ,italian centimes or #h ,tuscan crazie1 which in ,florence was also called barille or gabellotto1 because the sum had to be paid as duty on a barrel of wine4 7,s474 ,,gocciola1 ,,gocciolina3 a drop1 as of the water distilled from pear or quince seed1 used for enamelling4 ,tra4 #cf4 ,,gola3 the neck1 e4g41 of a vase4 ,tra4 #acc4 ,,gomma1 used alternately with ,,gromma ,,grommata3 ,any solution for the blanching or cleaning of metal4 ,more strictly1 the incrustation in wine casks1 tanks1 water pipes4 ,gomma or gromma di botte is the tartar of wine casks used for the cleaning of metals and gilding silver2 tartrate of potash4 ,tra4 #dh1 #ajf4 ,,gonfiare3 to boss or belly out4 ,tra4 #gi1 #hb4 ,,gorbia3 a ferule or throttle of iron4 ,tra4 #aia4 ,also generally1 a pointed tool for working soft stone4 ,tra4 #bjj4 ,,graffiare3 in the sense used by ,cellini1 ,tra4 #abh1 to hatch or to grave upon the metal by means of a well sharpened ciappola1 a cutting instrument1 different from the bulino the cesello1 used especially for hatching4 ,from graffiare1 used in this sense comes the better known word graffito4 ,,granaglia3 grains1 or granulated metal for filigree4 ,tra4 #bj4 ,,granato3 the garnet4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,granire3 a method employed in embossing metal for working over the backgrounds with a sharp-pointed steel tool4 ,tra4 #ib4 ,,granitura3 beading1 e4g41 around a coin4 ,tra4 #aab1 #aad4 ,,graticola1 ,,graticoletta1 ,,graticolina3 a grating1 a grill4 ,tra4 #abf1 #aij4 ,,gratitudine3 the gratefulness1 charm1 or delicacy of a stone4 ,tra4 #ch4 ,,grattapugia3 a scratch-brush4 ,,grattapugiare3 to clean or polish with the scratch-brush4 ,tra4 #adh4 ,,grembuilo3 an apron4 ,v4 7l474 ,,grisolita3 the chrysolite4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,grisopazio3 the chrysoprase4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,grosseria3 metal work of the larger sort1 as opposed to minuteria4 ,our term1 hammered hollow ware1 would partly express it4 ,it mainly included the beating of large vessels into shapes1 but it did not exclude the processes of casting4 ,,iacinto3 the jacynth4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,imbracciatoie3 special tongs for holding earthenware crucibles4 ,tra4 #abd1 #acg4 ,,incarnato3 flesh-tinted1 as of stones or enamels4 ,tra4 #cc1 #aie4 ,,indaco3 indigo4 ,tra4 #fj4 ,,indolcire3 to soften1 as of the tempering of steel4 ,tra4 #aab1 #aag4 ,,infrangere3 to beat or dent in as opposed to cutting out or removing the surface of metal4 ,tra4 #ge4 ,,intaccare3 to notch1 to cut a tally1 intaccatura1 in metal4 ,,intaccato3 notched4 ,tra4 #adb4 ,,intaglio1 ,,intagliare3 cutting in intaglio2 more generally1 carving4 ,,intagliatore3 a carver4 ,,intersegare3 to cross or plait1 of wire4 ,tra4 #ach4 ,,intronare3 to crack or spring1 of stone beneath the chisel4 ,tra4 #aii4 ,,ispianare3 to plane or pare the metal plate4 ,tra4 #aag4 ,see ,,rasoio4 ,,isvivatoio3 see ,,avvivatoio4 ,,lagrime ,,di ,,mastico3 tears of mastic1 used in stone-setting4 ,tra4 #ei4 ,,lama3 a band1 as of hoop iron4 ,tra4 #abe4 ,,lamine3 plates of metal4 ,tra4 #ada4 ,,lampeggiare3 to flash1 glow1 or blaze1 as of a red stone4 ,tra4 #gd4 ,,lasagna3 the coating of wax1 clay1 or paste1 applied to the mould of a casting4 ,tra4 #acg1 #afh1 #agj4 ,,lega1 ,,legha3 alloy2 also generally1 for the metal of a setting1 and so of a setting itself4 ,tra4 #add4 ,v4 #dbd4 ,,legare3 to set4 ,tra4 #h1 #cg1 #da4 ,,legatura3 setting4 ,tra4 #dc4 ,,legnette1 ,,legnuzzi3 faggots2 small logs or pieces of wood for burning4 ,tra4 #ag1 #bb4 ,,levare3 to remove or cut away1 as of metal background to be removed with the chisel4 ,tra4 #ge4 ,,lima3 a file1 of which ,cellini describes several sorts1 e4g41 ,,lima ,a ,,coltella1 ,,lima ,,mezza ,,tonda1 ,,lima ,,raspa4 ,tra4 #aih4 ,,limare3 to file4 ,tra4 #bj4 ,,limatura3 filings1 as of the solder1 limatura di saldatura1 sprinkled over the filigree4 ,tra4 #ba4 ,,limuzza3 ,tra4 #ib4 ,see ,,lima4 ,,lingua ,,di ,,vacca3 a cows' tongue stake head4 ,tra4 #acb4 ,,listre ,,di ,,ferro3 bands of iron1 as of the bands used for holding together the moulds in bronze casting4 ,tra4 #ahc4 ,,loppa3 dregs1 lees1 scum1 as of the glass scum1 loppa di vetro1 in the metal vent of the crucible described4 ,tra4 #aih4 ,,lordo3 greasy1 as of the surface of metal in the working4 ,tra4 #bh4 ,,lordura3 literally lordura di untume1 fatty substance1 removable with aquafortis4 ,tra4 #ca4 ,,loto3 a paste or composition1 as of ashes4 ,tra4 #abf4 ,also a luting1 as of the closing of the joints in an alembic4 ,tra4 #aef4 ,,lustro3 the shine or glimmer on the metal left by the use of the punches1 c4 ,tra4 #bh1 #aie4 ,,macinare3 to pound4 ,tra4 #ajd1 #adh4 ,,madre3 the matrices of the dies2 the mother punches4 ,tra4 #aah4 ,,maglia1 ,,maglietta3 an eye or socket of iron fitted into the plaster mould of a casting4 ,tra4 #afg1 #afh4 ,,magro3 coarse and thin2 used of clay as distinguished from the rich and fatty quality4 ,tra4 #afc4 ,,mandorla1 ,,mandorletta3 literally1 an almond shape2 used of jewellery thus shaped1 of the shapes of ,cardinals' seals4 ,tra4 #bj1 #ii4 ,,mandriano3 an iron crook2 a pole fitted at the end with a curved iron4 ,tra4 #agf1 #aha2 ,v4 #dba4 ,,manica3 a funnel shaped furnace 7,s474 ,v4 li4 ,,manico3 a handle4 ,tra4 #ajg1 #acg4 ,,maniglia3 a bracelet4 ,tra4 #cg4 ,,mantaco1 ,,mantacetto1 ,,mantacuzzo1 ,,mantiche1 ,,mantico1 ,,manticetto3 a pair of bellows4 ,tra4 #ae1 #ag1 #cd1 #gd1 #abd4 ,,mantacetto ,a ,,mano3 the hand-bellows4 ,tra4 #add4 ,,martello1 ,,martelletto1 ,,martellino3 a hammer1 whether of wood or iron4 ,tra4 #cb1 #gh4 ,,martello ,a ,,due ,,mani3 a large hammer wielded with both hands1 commonly called mazzetta4 ,tra4 #aba4 ,,maschera1 ,,mascheretta3 a mask1 a favourite form in ,renaissance design4 ,tra4 #acg4 ,,maselli 7,,di ,,rame73 sizes of copper4 ,v4 #dbj4 ,,mastico3 the varnish resin1 commonly called gum mastic4 ,tra4 #eg4 ,see also ,,lagrime4 ,,mastio3 the male screw2 as in the process of striking coins with the screw4 ,tra4 #abb4 ,,matassina3 a skein4 ,tra4 #db4 ,,matita ,,rossa3 red chalk2 red hmatite 7,dict41 ,baretti72 perhaps1 jewellers' rouge4 ,tra4 #aej1 #aeb4 ,,mattone1 ,,mattoncelli3 tiles2 baked bricks4 ,,maturo3 ripe1 mature1 of the colour of the ruby4 ,tra4 #ch4 ,,mazzapicchiare3 to ram4 ,tra4 #agd4 ,,mazzapicchio3 a rammer2 a wooden instrument three cubits long and widening to the bottom to a quarter of a cubit1 used for tightening in the soil into the pit that contains the mould4 ,tra4 #agd4 ,,mazzetta3 see ,,martello4 ,,mazzuolo3 a mallet4 ,tra4 #aii4 ,,mestoletta3 a spoon or ladle4 ,tra4 #ach4 ,,mezzana3 a flooring brick or tile4 ,tra4 #age4 ,,mezzo ,,tondo3 a half relief4 ,,midollo3 pith4 ,,midollo ,,di ,,corna3 pith of cornel wood4 ,tra4 #ajc4 ,,migliaccio3 a curdling of the metal4 ,v4 #dbc2 ,tra4 #agi4 ,,minuteria3 small metal ware1 as distinguished from grosseria4 ,,misura ,,di ,,carbone3 troy weight4 ,v4 #bje4 ,,modello1 ,,modellino1 ,,modelletto3 a model4 ,,molla1 ,,molette3 a pair of tongs or pliers4 ,tra4 #ba1 #abe4 ,,mordere3 to bite1 cut1 or wear away1 as of the cutting of the diamond by the diamond4 ,tra4 #eb4 ,,mortaio3 a mortar4 ,tra4 #abe4 ,,nastretto1 ,,nastrettino3 a streak or strip4 ,tra4 #ig1 #be4 ,,niellare3 to work in niello1 of which the various processes are described in ,tra41 ,ch4 ,i4 ,,nocciolo3 the #8kernel1' or the framework of clay or iron that fits into a casting1 and tallies in its various parts with the lasagna or coating of the mould4 ,tra4 #agc1 #ahc4 ,,nottolino3 any little knot or tie of metal in jewellery4 ,tra4 #id4 ,,occhio ,,di ,,gatta3 the cats' eye stone4 ,tra4 #dc4 ,,olio ,,di ,,grana3 linseed oil4 ,tra4 #eh4 ,,olio ,,di ,,mandorle3 almond oil4 ,tra4 #ei4 ,,olio ,d',,oliva3 olive oil4 ,tra4 #ei4 ,,orivuolo3 a clock4 ,tra4 #aa4 ,,orlo3 a ridge or mound of wax1 e4g41 round the copper etching plate4 ,tra4 #aee4 ,,oro ,,matto3 dull gilding4 ,tra4 #baj4 ,,ossatura3 the framework or sketch upon which the various portions of a colossus are pieced4 ,tra4 #bji4 ,,ottavo3 a species of silver solder formed of one-eighth part of an ounce of copper to one ounce of silver4 ,tra4 #adc4 ,,ottonaio3 a brass caster4 ,tra4 #abj4 ,,ovato3 an octagonal or eight-sided figure or arrangement4 ,tra4 #ig4 ,,ovolatoro3 a metal founder4 ,v4 #aba4 ,,ovolatore ,,di ,,zecca3 metal founders of the mint 7,s474 ,,padiglioni3 the pavilion or back facets of a stone4 ,italian stone-cutters distinguish in a stone the following parts3 il bordo1 la tavola1 le facette1 i padiglioni4 ,,pagonazzo3 peacock blue4 ,tra4 #ch4 ,,paiuolo3 a pail4 ,tra4 #afd4 ,,pala3 a spade2 a shovel4 ,tra4 #agg4 ,,paletta1 ,,palettina3 a palette or placque1 as of iron4 ,tra4 #aib4 ,,palettiere3 a hand-shaped palette1 such as ,cellini constructed specially on a leaden stand to hold enamels4 ,tra4 #cb1 #cf4 ,,palla1 ,,pallottola3 a ball2 a sphere4 ,tra4 #gi1 #ig4 ,,pane3 pig or cake1 e4g41 of metal4 ,tra4 #gc1 #aha4 ,,pane ,,della ,,vite3 the threads of a screw4 ,tra4 #abb4 ,,pannaccio ,,lino3 a linen rag4 ,tra4 #af4 ,,partire 7,,acqua ,,di73 the acid into which you put alloys and clippings1 filings1 c4 ,,partire3 to separate gold from silver1 or silver from copper1 or gold from gilt copper4 ,tra4 #aee1 #aef4 ,,partitore3 the man who exercises this craft4 ,,pasta3 a paste2 a coating4 ,tra4 #adh1 #aff4 ,,pece ,,greca3 powdered resin 7white pine7 from which the oil has been evaporated over hot water4 ,tra4 #bg4 ,see also ,hendrie's #8,theophilus1' p4 #gj4 ,,pelle3 a skin1 surface1 or coating1 e4g41 of metal or stone2 also of the working of the tools over a surface4 ,tra4 #ib1 #if1 #abh1 #acd1 #bjj4 ,,pendente3 a pendent4 ,,pendio3 a fall1 as of the fall in a furnace4 ,tra4 #ahf4 ,,penna3 the thin end of a hammer4 ,tra4 #acj1 #acb4 ,,pennello1 ,,pennelletto1 ,,pennellino3 a paint brush of hog's hair or sable1 c4 ,tra4 #ba1 #ic1 #ajd4 ,,pentolino3 a vase or pipkin4 ,tra4 #aec4 ,,perla1 ,,perlette3 a pearl4 ,,pestare3 to pound4 ,tra4 #ca4 ,,pestata3 the substance pounded4 ,tra4 #ic4 ,,piano ,,del ,,martello3 see ,,penna4 ,,piastra1 ,,piastretta3 a plate2 as in ,,piastra ,,di ,,rame3 a copperplate4 ,tra4 #ac4 ,,picciuoletto3 see ,,gambetto4 ,,piegato3 bent1 inclined1 as of the tool described4 ,tra4 #abh4 ,,pieghetta3 used by ,cellini to describe little raised carved pips or patterns on the metal field with a view to their showing through the translucent enamel to express damask or diaper1 c4 ,tra4 #bh4 ,,pieno3 full1 rich2 of the colour of a stone4 ,tra4 #ch4 ,,pietra ,,forte3 a stone used by the ,florentine sculptors2 of hard substance tan coloured1 found in small quantities in the neighbourhood of ,florence4 ,tra4 #bjb4 ,,pietra ,,morta3 quarry stone2 in general1 of any rough stone fragment4 ,tra4 #ahg1 #ahi4 ,more specifically of a soft tan coloured stone found in the vicinity of ,florence1 and much used because of its durability for all sorts of carving4 ,tra4 #bjb4 ,,pietra ,,serena3 a very soft1 blue-grey coloured stone found in large quantities in the neighbourhood of ,fiesol and ,settignano1 but used mostly for internal work owing to its want of durability4 ,tra4 #bja4 ,,pietruccola1 ,,petruccola1 ,,pietruzza3 a little stone or gem4 ,tra4 #fi1 #afc4 ,,pigliare3 to take1 generally4 ,,pigliare ,,il ,,caldo3 to take the heat2 to grow warm1 e4g41 of the enamel plate when held to the furnace before its insertion4 ,tra4 #cd4 ,,pignatta3 any large receptacle4 ,tra4 #acf1 #aee4 ,,pignere3 to paint2 to streak or paste over as with liquid gesso4 ,tra4 #aja1 #ajd4 ,,pila3 the lower of the two dies for minting1 fashioned in the form of a small stake or anvil1 and described with the whole process4 ,tra4 #aaa1 #aac4 ,see also ,,torsello4 ,,piombo3 the bureau for affixing the leaden seals to papal bulls2 an ecclesiastical office in ,rome sometimes given to laymen 7,s474 ,v4 #abe4 ,,pittoraccio3 an indifferent painter4 ,tra4 #hd4 ,,piviale3 a cope4 ,tra4 #di1 #hj4 ,,pomice1 ,,pommice3 pumice stone4 ,tra4 #ib4 ,,porfido3 porphyry4 ,tra4 #cj4 ,,prasma3 the plasma2 possibly1 the prase4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,pratica1 ,,praticaccia3 the practice or practical skill as distinguished from the theory or scientific study of a craft4 ,tra4 #bg1 #db4 ,,continova ,,pratica3 workshop tradition4 ,,pratico1 ,,praticone3 a craftsman1 a professional1 as opposed to an amateur4 ,tra4 #aa4 ,,praticonaccio3 a humbug or pretender at a craft2 a botcher4 ,tra4 #f4 ,,proffesione3 the practice of an art4 ,tra4 #df4 ,see ,,pratica4 ,,profilare1 ,,proffilare3 to outline1 e4g41 as of the outlining with the punches in embossed work4 ,tra4 #acc4 ,,profilo3 an outline4 ,,pugnelletto3 a pinch2 a small quantity4 ,tra4 #afh4 ,,pulire ,a ,,mano3 to hand polish2 of a method of finishing enamel by scouring it with tripoli4 ,tra4 #ce4 ,,pulitezza3 precision2 neatness2 cleanness of execution 7,s474 ,what in a modern workshop one might call #8finish1' in contradistinction1 however1 to #8trade finish4' ,,punta 7,,in73 point cut1 as applied to a stone4 ,tra4 #ea4 ,v4 #cic4 ,,puntalo3 buckles or pins for belts4 ,tra4 #bj4 ,,punteruolo3 a pin or skewer4 ,tra4 #ch4 ,,punzone1 ,,punzoncino1 ,,punzonetto3 a punch1 in various uses4 ,,radere3 to plane or pare1 as of a metal plate4 ,tra4 #dh1 #abh1 #abi4 ,,rafreddo3 cooled4 ,tra4 #aga4 ,,ramaiuolo3 a ladle4 ,tra4 #abg4 ,,ramo3 a pipe4 ,,ramo ,,di ,,gitto3 the conduit of a casting4 ,v4 li41 #dah4 ,,rappezzare3 to patch up1 to re-piece1 as of the holes in the hammered gold coating upon bronze figures4 ,tra4 #hc1 #aii4 ,,rappreso3 set or hardened from cooling1 e4g41 of metal in the furnace4 ,tra4 #agi4 ,,rasoio3 a razor1 a sharp flat knife4 ,tra4 #abh4 ,,rastiare3 to scrape4 ,tra4 #ei4 ,,rastiatoio3 a scraper1 or instrument used for assisting the flow of the bronze into the mould4 ,tra4 #agg4 ,,rastrello3 a special sort of rake constructed to rake over the cinders from the ash-pit in bronze casting4 ,tra4 #aia4 ,,renella ,,di ,,vetro3 glass-paper4 ,tra4 #gf4 ,,riardere3 to scorch up1 to harden from heat4 ,tra4 #ei1 #abd4 ,,ribollire3 to re-heat1 to consume with heat1 to burn1 as of the wax in the gesso mould1 from too rapid heating4 ,tra4 #bb1 #agb4 ,,ricercare3 to search out1 to pick out with the tools2 e4g41 of the minute workmanship on a highly-wrought piece of repouss4 ,tra4 #ie4 ,,ricesellare3 see ,,cesello4 ,,ricorrere3 to run together1 as of different solderings in later firing4 ,tra4 #ge4 ,,ricuocere3 to heat1 to put to the fire1 to anneal4 ,tra4 #be1 #adb4 ,,rigaguolo3 a gully4 ,tra4 #ahf4 ,,rigonfiare3 to swell or bubble up4 ,tra4 #aea4 ,,rilevare3 to raise1 boss or work up into relief4 ,tra4 #gh4 ,,rimacinare3 to pound or mix together4 ,tra4 #aec4 ,,rimbottare3 to refill4 ,tra4 #abg4 ,,rimenare3 to stir4 ,tra4 #aec4 ,,rinalzare3 to boss or beat out from within4 ,tra4 #acd4 ,,rischiare3 to clean4 ,tra4 #aed4 ,,riserrare3 to stop or fill up1 as of the bubble holes in niello work4 ,tra4 #ah4 ,,ristiarare3 ,tra4 #aea4 ,see ,,rischiare4 ,,ritondare3 to round or body a piece of work1 e4g41 of ,michael ,angelo's method of hewing his figures from the stone direct1 without recourse to the clay model4 ,tra4 #aii4 ,,riturare3 ,tra4 #ah4 ,see ,,riserrare4 ,,rosta3 a fan or blower4 ,tra4 #add4 ,,rovescio3 the reverse of a medal4 ,,rubino ,,balascia3 see ,,balascia4 ,,ruota3 a wheel1 as of the steel wheel on which diamonds are cut4 ,tra4 #eb4 ,,saccaccio3 a sack or a piece of sack cloth4 ,tra4 #af4 ,,saldare3 to solder4 ,tra4 #ba1 #gc1 #ij4 ,,saldare ,a ,,calore3 a term used by ,cellini of the first soldering given to a piece of minuterie work2 it should be1 says he1 termed rather1 #8firing in one piece1' than soldering4 ,tra4 #gc1 #gd4 ,,saldatura3 solder4 ,tra4 #ge1 #adc4 ,and of its various consistent alloys in saldatura di lega1 di ottavo1 di quinto1 di terzo4 ,see also ,,limatura4 ,,sale ,,armoniaco3 sal ammoniac4 ,tra4 #gc4 ,,saliera3 a salt cellar4 ,,salnitro3 saltpetre4 ,,sangue ,,di ,,drago3 dragon's blood4 ,tra4 #dd4 ,,savore3 an ointment2 a paste4 ,,sbiancato3 bright1 clean1 as of fresh grains of mastic4 ,tra4 #eg4 ,,sborraciato3 free from borax1 e4g41 of filigree work after it has been cooked in the tartar solution4 ,tra4 #bb4 ,,scaglia1 ,,scaglietta ,,del ,,ferro3 scale of iron4 ,tra4 #aad4 ,,scaldare3 to anneal4 ,tra4 #aca1 #aea4 ,,scantonato3 to round or trim off1 as of the edges of a metal plate in its first stages to the cup form4 ,tra4 #acj4 ,,scarpello1 ,,scarpelletto3 any chisel or cutting tool1 and of its different sorts1 e4g41 ,,scarpello ,,augnato3 the wood-carvers' chisel1 and ,,scarpello ,a ,,una ,,tacca3 a notched chisel4 ,tra4 #ba1 #aii4 ,,scassare3 to open2 to unpick2 as of the setting of a stone4 ,tra4 #dc4 ,,scatoletto1 ,,scatolina3 a little box or casket4 ,tra4 #he4 ,,schiacciato3 see ,,stiacciato4 ,,schiuma3 see ,,stiuma4 ,,schizzare3 to crack or spring1 as of enamel4 ,tra4 #bh4 ,,sciogliere3 to take out1 as of a stone from the setting4 ,tra4 #dc4 ,,sciorre3 see ,,sciogliere4 ,,scodella1 ,,scodelletta1 ,,scodellino3 a pipkin or pot1 of glass1 earthenware1 or metal4 ,,scodellino ,,invetriato3 a glazed earthenware pipkin4 ,,scopetta3 a rod of birch or twigs4 ,tra4 #aej4 ,,scoprire3 to uncover1 disclose1 lay bare4 ,tra4 #aih4 ,,scorrere3 to run1 as of enamel in the firing4 ,tra4 #be4 ,,scorza3 bark1 crust4 ,tra4 #aif4 ,,screpolatura3 a crevice1 crack1 fissure4 ,tra4 #ahh4 ,,scuffina3 see ,,lima ,,raspa4 ,,serpentino3 a serpentine stone4 ,tra4 #cj4 ,,serrare3 to set4 ,tra4 #da4 ,see also ,,acconciare1 ,,legare4 ,,sesta1 ,,sestolina3 the compasses4 ,tra4 #bg1 #aaa4 ,,sesta ,,immobile3 compasses of which the legs were fixed to a definite angle2 used 7as in marking out medals7 for striking a number of equal circles4 ,tra4 #aag4 ,,setola1 ,,setoletta1 ,,setolina3 a brush1 usually of hog sables4 ,tra4 #af1 #gd1 #id4 ,,sfasciata3 freed2 disconnected from1 as of a mould freed from the bricks in which it is baked4 ,tra4 #agb1 #agc4 ,,sfiatatoio3 a vent hole in a cire perdue casting4 ,,sfiatare3 the verb form of the same word used of the working of the sfiatatoi4 ,tra4 #acg1 #agj1 #agc4 ,,sfoglietta1 ,,sfogliettina3 a blemish1 a roughness2 as a rule some surface scaling of the metal4 ,tra4 #abi1 #acc4 ,,sfummare3 to steam4 ,tra4 #aea4 ,,silimato3 see ,,solimato4 ,,smalto1 ,,smaltare3 enamel2 the art of enamelling2 to enamel4 ,,smalto ,,roggio3 a particular kind of red enamel described by ,cellini4 ,tra4 #cf4 ,also ,,smalto ,,rosso ,,transparente4 ,,smeraldo3 an emerald4 ,tra4 #dj4 ,,smeriglio3 the stain or blemish in marble4 ,tra4 #aif4 ,,sodo3 the base4 ,tra4 #if4 ,,soffiare3 to bubble or blow2 of metal flowing into a mould for which the vents have been improperly prepared4 ,tra4 #aha4 ,,soffregare3 to rub2 as of stone against stone in the cutting of the diamond4 ,tra4 #eb4 ,,solimato3 corrosive sublimate4 ,tra4 #aee4 ,,soppannato3 match-boarded4 ,tra4 #bjf4 ,,sottigliezza3 delicacy2 subtle detail in a piece of work4 ,tra4 #afd1 #aff4 ,,sotto ,,squadro3 undercutting4 ,tra4 #ada4 ,,spadaio3 a sword cutler4 ,tra4 #di4 ,,spaghetto3 string4 ,tra4 #aga4 ,,spalla1 ,,spalletta3 shoulder1 end1 roof2 as of the ends of the furnace bed1 or the ramparts of earth around a wax seal that is to be cast4 ,tra4 #aje4 ,,spannare3 to spread or paint over4 ,tra4 #aej4 ,,spazzature3 sweepings2 refuse of old bits of metal in goldsmiths' work4 ,v4 #bj4 ,,specchietto3 the reflector1 or piece of square glass set beneath a diamond in the bezel2 sometimes in conjunction with the process of tinting4 ,tra4 #fe4 ,see also ,,tinta4 ,,spegnere3 to dip or quench4 ,tra4 #dh4 ,,spianare3 to smooth1 planish1 polish2 as of enamels with the frasinelle2 or a metal plate before commencing work4 ,tra4 #ba1 #bf4 ,,spiccare3 to pick out or raise1 as of a figure from its background4 ,tra4 #gh4 ,,spina3 a plug1 as at the outlet hole of a furnace1 thus used for the outlet hole itself4 ,tra4 #agb2 ,v4 li41 #dba4 ,see also ,,bocca ,,della ,,spina4 ,,spinella3 spinell4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,spingere3 see ,,spiccare4 ,,spoglia3 the shell or outer mould of a cire perdue casting between which and the core1 ncciolo1 is the cavity which subsequently receives the bronze4 ,tra4 #agc4 ,see also ,,tonaca4 ,,spolverezzo1 ,,spolverizzato3 see ,,affumare4 ,,sportelli1 ,,sportelletti3 the doors of a furnace2 the little doors that open into any closed fire place4 ,tra4 #aia1 #aic4 ,,spruzzare3 to sprinkle4 ,tra4 #gd4 ,,spugnuzze3 bubble holes4 ,tra4 #ah4 ,,stacciare3 to sift4 ,,staccio3 a sieve4 ,tra4 #ach4 ,,staffa3 a frame1 e4g41 the frame for sand casting1 or for holding dies for stamping4 ,tra4 #acb4 ,,stagno3 pewter4 ,v4 #dbd2 ,tra4 #agf4 ,,stagnuolo3 tinfoil4 ,tra4 #afe4 ,see also ,,foglia4 ,,stampa3 a die for minting4 ,v4 #aad2 ,tra4 #ajh1 #aaf4 ,,stampare3 used in several senses1 e4g41 to cut or engrave into metal generally4 ,tra4 #ad4 ,to make medals of coins4 ,tra4 #aaj1 #aai4 ,to make an impression as of a seal4 ,tra4 #ajj4 ,,stecca3 a board4 ,tra4 #bg4 ,,stiacciare3 to stretch or flatten4 ,tra4 #be4 ,,stiacciatina3 a flat cake4 ,tra4 #ajc4 ,,stiantare3 to chip2 to split4 ,tra4 #aif4 ,,stiletto3 a style1 as of the burnished steel style with which ,cellini outlined on metal4 ,tra4 #acc4 ,,stiuma3 scum1 as of the lead in the crucible for niello4 ,tra4 #ae4 ,,stoppa3 putty4 ,tra4 #agd4 ,,straccio3 a rag4 ,tra4 #acg1 #agc4 ,,stracco3 spent1 as of cinders4 ,tra4 #ade4 ,,strofinare3 to scour2 to polish2 as of the dies on a wooden board with iron scale4 ,tra4 #aad4 ,,stucco3 a composition variously described as of pounded brick1 yellow wax4 ,see ,,pece ,,greca4 ,tra4 #bg1 #ge4 ,,stuccare3 to paste or cake over with stucco or other earthy substance4 ,,subbia1 ,,subbietta3 sculptors' chisels4 ,tra4 #aih4 ,,succhielletto1 ,,succhiellino3 a tool of the nature of a gimlet4 ,tra4 #afh1 #agj4 ,,sughero3 cork1 as of the cork tipped with iron scale for cleaning out dies4 ,tra4 #aad4 ,,tacca3 a notch4 ,tra4 #aih4 ,,taglia3 a pulley4 ,tra4 #agc4 ,,tanaglia1 ,,tanaglietta3 tongs4 ,tra4 #eb1 #aai4 ,,tane3 tan coloured4 ,,tasselli3 the dies for stamping medals as distinguished from those for stamping coins1 which were termed pila and torsello4 ,tra4 #aag4 ,,tassellino3 a little cup or clip1 as of the metal cup in which the diamond is set against the wheel4 ,tra4 #eb4 ,,tassetto3 a stake or stake head4 ,,tassettino ,,tondo3 a rounded stake head4 ,tra4 #dh1 #gh4 ,,tavola 7,,in73 table cut1 as applied to a stone4 ,v4 #cic2 ,tra4 #ea4 ,,temperare3 to temper steel4 ,tra4 #aad1 #aai4 ,,tessuto3 a woven fabric2 also for the alternate or reticulated arrangements of bricks in furnace construction4 ,tra4 #abe4 ,,tinta3 dare la tinta or tingere1 a process used in jewellery of blackening the bezel to give value to diamonds4 ,tra4 #cg1 #eb1 #fj4 ,,tirare3 ,cellini uses this word in several technical senses in relation to metal work1 e4g41 to lay or prepare a plate or sheet of metal4 ,tra4 #gb4 ,to prepare the threads for filigree4 ,tra4 #bj4 ,or more generally1 to bring into shape with the hammer4 ,tra4 #abi4 ,,tirare ,,di ,,martello3 hammer work4 ,tra4 #dh1 #adj4 ,in another sense the word is used as of translating from a small to a large scale4 ,tra4 #bjc4 ,,tonaca3 the tunic or outside mould of a cire perdue casting1 between which and the anima1 or inner block1 the metal ran1 displacing the wax4 ,v4 #dba2 ,tra4 #aga4 ,also generally1 of a coat of gesso4 ,,topazio3 a topaz4 ,,torcere3 to twist or warp4 ,tra4 #afh4 ,,torsello3 the upper of the two dies for minting4 ,tra4 #aaa4 ,see ,,pila4 ,,traforare3 to fashion the forms or perforations of filigree work4 ,,traforo1 ,,traforetto3 a filigree scroll or perforation4 ,,trapano3 a borer4 ,tra4 #aih4 ,,trapano ,a ,,petto3 described as a larger sort of borer4 ,tra4 #aii4 ,,trarre ,,di ,,fuoco3 described by ,cellini as being the technical term for completing the process of soldering before the commencement of the cleaning1 c4 ,tra4 #ia4 ,,trarre ,,di ,,pece3 similarly described as the term for carrying the work of embossing and chasing through to the moment of removing the pitch4 ,tra4 #acd1 #ace4 ,,trementina3 turps4 ,,tripolo3 ,tripoli clay2 a silicious earth consisting of the remains of diatoms4 ,tra4 #ajc4 ,,tufo or ,,arena ,,di ,,tufo3 a sand tufa1 a volcanic spongey rock like pumice1 used for silver casting4 ,tra4 #ajb4 ,,turchina3 a turquoise4 ,,unticci3 messy2 untidy4 ,tra4 #bh4 ,,untume3 grease or fat1 used in soldering4 ,tra4 #adc1 #add4 ,,uscite3 the issues for the metal in a casting4 ,v4 #dag4 ,,verdemezzo3 a term signifying not too dry nor yet too moist1 probably tacky4 ,tra4 #ajd4 ,,verderame3 verdigris1 i4e41 acetate of copper4 ,tra4 #gc1 #ic1 #id4 ,,verdognolo3 greenish2 used in describing the colour of stone4 ,tra4 #bjj4 ,,vermiglia3 the vermeil4 ,tra4 #ci4 ,,vernice3 varnish4 ,,vernice ,,ordinaria3 described as the ordinary varnish used for sword hilts4 ,tra4 #aee4 ,,verniciare3 to varnish4 ,,vescica3 a crack or flaw1 e4g41 in glass4 ,tra4 #fe4 ,,vesta1 ,,vestire3 see ,,tonaca4 ,,vetrivuolo1 ,,vetrivuolo ,,romano3 ,roman or green vitriol1 i4e41 sulphate of iron4 ,tra4 #aej1 #aeb4 ,,virtu3 a word used with many and double senses4 ,for its larger uses see ,symonds' #8,vita1' passim4 ,in its more technical uses ,cellini has virt for the glory of a ruby4 ,tra4 #db4 ,,virtu ,,del ,,martello3 excellence of hammer work4 ,,virtu ,,dei ,,ferri3 general technical ability with punches and chisels4 ,,vite3 a screw4 ,,vite ,,femmina3 the female screw as used in minting with the screw process2 and termed also ,,femmina ,,chiocciola1 which see4 ,,vivacita3 the flash and brilliancy of a stone4 ,tra4 #ff4 ,,volto3 turned1 bent1 e4g41 of the form of a semi-ring punch4 ,tra4 #acc4 ,,zaffiro3 the sapphire4 ,tra4 #dj1 #ff4 ,,zaffo ,,di ,,ferro3 a stopper of iron4 ,tra4 #ahi4 ,,zana3 a division or space4 ,tra4 #ig4 ,,zecca3 the mint4 ,tra4 #aae4 ,,here ,,end ,,the ,,treatises ,,of ,,benvenuto ,,cellini ,,on ,,metal ,,work ,,and ,,sculpture1 ,,made ,,into ,,english ,,from ,,the ,,italian ,,of ,,the ,,marcian ,,codex ,,by ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee1 ,,and ,,printed ,,by ,,him ,,at ,,the ,,guild',s ,,press ,,at ,,essex ,,house1 ,,with ,,the ,,assistance ,,of ,,laurence ,,hodson ,,who ,,sought ,,to ,,keep ,,living ,,the ,,traditions ,,of ,,good ,,printing ,,refounded ,,by ,,william ,,morris1 ,,the ,,master ,,craftsman1 ,,and ,,likewise ,,of ,t4 ,,binning ,j4 ,,tippett1 ,,compositors1 ,,and ,s4 ,,mowlem1 ,,pressman1 ,,who ,,came ,,to ,,essex ,,house ,,from ,,the ,,kelmscott ,,press ,,to ,,that ,,end4 ,,begun ,,april1 #ahih2 ,,finished ,,october1 #ahih4 ,illustration3 ,,guild #ahhh ,published by ,,edward ,,arnold1 #cg ,bedford ,street1 ,strand2 and of the #fjj copies printed1 this copy is ,no4 #dca ,,errata4 ,page #bh1 for but putting it in water1 not cooling it with the bellows1 read but not putting it in water1 nor cooling it with the bellows4 ,page #aej1 for ,,ciappolinta read ,,ciappolina4 ,,back ,,publications ,,of ,,the ,,guild ,,school ,,of ,,handicraft ,,before ,,the ,,starting ,,of ,,the ,,press ,,and ,,of ,,which ,a ,,few ,,copies ,,yet ,,remain4 ,,the ,,transactions ,,of ,,the ,,guild ,,school ,,of ,,handicraft1 ,vol4 ,i4 ,edited by ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee3 ,preface by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4,a42 ,lectures1 ,addresses1 ,recipes1 by ,alma ,tadema1 ,r4,a41 ,w4 ,holman ,hunt1 ,henry ,holiday1 ,t4 ,stirling ,lee1 ,e4 ,p4 ,warren1 ,walter ,crane1 ,w4 ,b4 ,richmond1 ,a4,r4,a41 c4 ,large ,paper ,copies1 #a #as42 ,ordinary ,paper ,copies #gs4 #f;d4 ,set of proofs on hand-made ,japanese vellum coloured #ajs4 #f;d4 ,bound in cow-hide1 pressed1 chased1 gilded #b #bs4 to #e #es4 ,,on ,,sculpture4 ,l4 ,,alma ,,tadema1 ,r4,a4 #as4 ,,an ,,address ,,on ,,the ,,opening ,,of ,,the ,,whitechapel ,,picture ,,exhibition4 ,w4 ,,holman ,,hunt #as4 ,,parlour ,,architecture4 ,e4 ,p4 ,,warren #as4 ,,recipes ,,and ,,notes4 ,,walter ,,crane1 c4 #as4 ,,on ,,gesso4 ,w4 ,b4 ,,richmond1 ,a4,r4,a4 #as4 ,a ,,short ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,guild ,,and ,,school ,,of ,,handicraft1 #ahij4 ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee #as4 ,,the ,,ideals ,,of ,,the ,,craftsman4 ,an ,address to the ,craftsman ,club #as4 ,,decorative ,,art ,,from ,a ,,workshop ,,point ,,of ,,view4 ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee #as4 ,,some ,,illustrations ,,for ,a ,,course ,,of ,,lectures ,,on ,,design ,,in ,,its ,,application ,,to ,,furniture4 ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee #as4 ,,manual ,,of ,,the ,,guild ,,school ,,of ,,handicraft4 ,a ,guide to ,county ,councils and ,technical ,teachers #as4 ,,arts ,,and ,,crafts ,,tables4 ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee4 ---- ,of the ,renaissance #as4 ---- ,of the #agth ,century #as4 ---- ,of the #ahth ,century #as4 ,,from ,,whitechapel ,,to ,,camelot4 ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee4 ,a ,story #bs4 #f;d4 ,,chapters ,,in ,,workshop ,,reconstruction ,,citizenship4 ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee #es4 ,large ,paper with ,hand-coloured ,blocks1 in ,japanese ,vellum ,covers #a #as4 ,,the ,,ding',s ,,song ,,book4 ,printed for ,mr4 ,h4 ,h4 ,,gore #as4 ,,school ,,of ,,handicraft ,,reports1 #ahhh to #ahie #cs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,trinity ,,hospital ,,in ,,mile ,,end4 ,by ,c4 ,r4 ,,ashbee4 ,with ,illustrations by ,members of the ,watch ,committee #ajs4 #f;d4 ,the above may be had 7post free7 of the ,manager1 ,,guild ,,of ,,handicraft1 ,essex ,house1 #dja ,mile ,end ,road1 ,london1 ,e4 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes ,illustrations in this e,book have been positioned between paragraphs and outside quotations4 ,titles from the ,list of ,illustrations and ,list of ,diagrams have been applied to the images as captions4 ,the second jewellery illustration has a new caption1 as the one from the index would be confusing out of context4 ,illustrations that did not have a title have had a descriptive caption added1 these are indicated with parentheses4 ,obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources4 ,some hyphens in words have been silently removed1 some added1 when a predominant preference was found in the original book4 ,errata listed on page #afg have been applied to the text4 ,except for those changes noted below1 all misspellings in the text1 and inconsistent or archaic usage1 have been retained4 ,pg xi3 80 replaced with 80 ,pg #d3 8dalla ,golpaia0 replaced with 8della ,golpaia0 ,pg #bj3 8jewelry0 replaced with 8jewellery0 ,pg #bc3 8crysolite0 replaced with 8chrysolite0 ,pg #cd3 8,miliano ,larghetta0 replaced with 8,miliano ,targhetta0 ,pg #dh3 8,girolamo0 replaced with 8,girolano0 ,pg #eb3 8,fillippo ,brunellesco0 replaced with 8,filippo ,brunellesco0 ,pg #ed3 8hostting0 replaced with 8hosting0 ,pg #ed3 8comissioned0 replaced with 8commissioned0 ,pg #fb3 8occuring0 replaced with 8occurring0 ,pg #fc3 8where-ever0 replaced with 8wherever0 ,pg #gf3 8anealing0 replaced with 8annealing0 ,pg #gh3 8softenening0 replaced with 8softening0 ,pg #hd3 8set too right0 replaced with 8set to right0 ,pg #ig3 8avvivitoio0 replaced with 8avvivatoio0 ,pg #aje3 #8,cennino ,cenini' replaced with #8,cennino ,cennini' ,pg #aad3 8,aliquanto0 replaced with 8,alquanto0 ,pg #aah3 8earthern0 replaced with 8earthen0 ,pg #abh3 8accomodate0 replaced with 8accommodate0 ,pg #acd3 8,buonarotti0 replaced with 8,buonaroti0 ,pg #ace3 8wants it to he particularly0 replaced with 8wants it to be particularly0 ,pg #adi3 8calcedony0 replaced with 8chalcedony0 ,pg #aea3 8guage1 e4g41 ,birmingham guage0 replaced with 8gauge1 e4g41 ,birmingham gauge0 ,pg #aeb3 8special meth0 replaced with 8special method0 ,pg #afj3 8fiigree0 replaced with 8filigree0 ,pg #afj3 8aneal0 replaced with 8anneal04