The treatises of Benvenuto Cellini on goldsmithing and sculpture

by Benvenuto Cellini

FOOTNOTES:

[181] Che sia abbondantemente carico d’oro.

[182] Cellini refers to the preliminary cleaning with urine described in Chapter xxvii.

[183] Ristiara di buon vantaggio.

CHAPTER XXX. HOW TO MAKE THE WAX FOR GILDING.

Take five ounces of new wax, half an ounce of red chalk (that is to say, red stone chalk for drawing[184]), half an ounce of Roman vitriol,[185] three pennyweights[186] of feretto di spagna,[187] that is of the weight of a ducat, or one-eighth of an ounce, or it may be a bit less, half an ounce of verdigris, & three pennyweights of borax. Mix all these things together and melt them with the wax, & apply them as above described. After this, when the wax is cleaned off, you can give it the colouring that follows hereunder.