Recipes for varnishing and moulding imitation cups
Coating a cup to look like glass, a bronze-hard paper, branched-bole composition, and lathe-turning
A single dense block of craft recipes continues the previous page's technique for decorative imitation objects. Leonardo directs that a cup be varnished six or eight times very thinly until it looks like glass and resists damp, and lists binders such as distilled vinegar, ram's horn, egg-white and fish glue, noting that fish glue keeps the coating from crumbling. A 'composition' is made of branched bole mixed with cinnabar-red, cooked and clothed in transparent, yellow and other colors, while fine glued paper pressed hard becomes as dense as bronze; various materials are dissolved for coatings. He closes by directing that the composition cups be turned on a flat lathe as the potters do.
On this page
Varnishing a cup to look like glass
Varnish the cup six or eight times very thinly, letting it dry well between coats, so that it looks like glass and does not fear damp. Egg-white and gum crumble in damp, so fish glue is added to keep the coating from breaking.
A 'composition' of branched bole and cinnabar
For the 'composition,' branched bole in a lump is mixed with cinnabar-red and cooked so it will not dissolve when wetted, then clothed with three degrees of transparent, one of yellow and any color desired. Branched moss of trees may serve instead, glued and coated; fine paper pressed in warm fish glue becomes so dense it seems to be bronze, and lac, gum and other matter are dissolved for the coatings.
Turning the composition cups on a flat lathe
Leonardo directs that the composition cups be turned on a flat lathe, in the manner of the potters.