Chapter 10

A silver grey may be given to white wood by immersion in a decoction of 4 oz. of sumach in 1 quart of water, and afterwards in a very dilute solution of sulphate of iron. A dilute solution of bichromate of potash is frequently employed to darken oak, mahogany, and coloured woods. This should be used carefully, since its effects are not altogether stopped by thoroughly washing the wood with water when dark enough. To bleach woods, immerse them in a strong, hot solution of oxalic acid.

Since ivory is often used in inlaying and is sometimes stained, a few receipts for its staining will not be out of place. These come from Holtzapffel's book:--A pale yellow will be given by immersing the ivory for one minute in the tepid stain given by 60 grains of saffron boiled for some hours in half-a-pint of water. Immersion for from five to fifteen minutes produces a canary yellow brighter or deeper according to the time given, but all somewhat fugitive. A stain from 4 oz. of fustic dust and chips boiled in 1 quart of water produces similar but somewhat darker and more permanent results. Ivory subjected to either of these stains for fifteen minutes, and then placed for one to three minutes in Brazil water stain acquires an orange colour. If then treated with nitro-muriate of tin, an orange of a brighter, redder tone is produced; transfer to a clean water bath directly the required colour appears, as the nitro-muriate of tin acts very rapidly upon the ivory.

Fine scarlet cloth is used for dyeing various tones of red. A piece about a foot square may be cut into shreds and boiled, with the addition of 10 grains of pearl ash, in half-a-pint of water from 5 to 6 hours. Immersion in the liquid for from three to ten minutes gives tones of pink; for one hour and subsequently for half-an-hour in an alum mordant gives a pink of a bright crimson character. When the ivory is from two to three hours in the tepid stain a crimson red results, and the addition of 1 part of sulphuric acid to 60 of stain gives billiard ball colour. Pinks of a different and duller full tone may be obtained by immersion for three minutes in Brazil water stain, followed by treatment with nitro-muriate of tin; when the Brazil is used for six minutes a deeper colour results. Fifteen minutes in Brazil, then treatment with nitro-muriate of tin and immediate washing gives a duller and deeper red than the first red-cloth stain. The depth of colour may be increased by longer immersion _or_ a higher temperature. A dull scarlet or brick red is made by the Brazil bath, followed by thirty to sixty minutes in an alum mordant.

The cloth stain for one hour, followed by pearl ash for half-an-hour, gives a bright purple; if iron is used instead of pearl ash a sombre purple results; if you add alkalies to the stain instead of sulphuric acid you obtain purple reds. Fifteen minutes in Brazil, and then three or four in pearl ash gives full red purples deepening to maroon. Five minutes in logwood water stain gives a good warm brown; half-an-hour, a chocolate brown. Ten minutes in logwood stain, washing, and one or two seconds in pearl ash, and instantly washing again gives a deep red brown, and if one minute in alum instead of pearl ash a deep purple brown.

Blue stains may be made from sulphate of indigo, 1/2 drachm to 1 pint of previously boiled water, with 10 grains of carbonate of potash added. One to two minutes' immersion and immediate washing yields a delicate turquoise, five minutes a bright full blue; and ten to fifteen a considerable depth of colour. Blues are rather fugitive. Staining with saffron or fustic for five minutes, and then with indigo for the same time, produces a clear pea green; with indigo for ten minutes, a deep grass green. The greens from fustic are more permanent and yellower. The sequence of the stains also affects the green, the last used having most effect. Blue stain first for fifteen minutes, followed by fustic for thirty, stains ivory the green used for table knife handles--a colour which may also be obtained by immersion for some weeks in a clear solution of verdigris in dilute vinegar and water.

Before applying these stains the ivory must be prepared by first polishing with whiting and water and washing quite clean. Next immerse it for three to five minutes in acid cold water (1 part muriatic acid to 40 or 50 of water, or the same proportion of nitric). This extracts the gelatine from the surface of the ivory. Extreme cleanliness and absence of grease or soiling is most important; the ivory is not to be touched by the fingers, but removed from one vessel to another by wooden tongs, one pair to each colour. After treating with the acid, place the ivory in clean, cold, boiled water for some minutes. Water stains are used, but strained or filtered and warm or only tepid, for fear of injuring the surface of the ivory. Increasing the temperature also sometimes deepens or changes the colour. The best temperature is 100 deg. Fahr. When sufficiently stained the ivory is well rinsed in water, and if there are two colours on top of each other always well rinsed before going into the second bath. After thoroughly drying, repolish by friction, first with a few drops of oil on a soft clean rag; continue with a dry clean rag till the oil disappears.

An old Italian receipt for polishing wood blackened to imitate ebony runs thus:--"Is the wood to be polished with burnt pumice stone? Rub the work carefully with canvas and this powder, then wash the piece with Dutch lime water so that it may be more beautifully polished. Then it is to be cleaned with another cloth. Then the rind of a pomegranate must be steeped, and the wood smeared over with it and set to dry, but in the shade."

INDEX

A

Angelo di Lazzero, of Arezzo, 19

Anselmo de' Fornari, 77-78

Antique inlaid furniture, 2, 3, 6 (note)

Antonio da Melaria, 35

Antonio di Minella, of Siena, 10

Antonio Manetti, 19

Antonio Paolo Martini, 13

Assisi, 10, 46 ---- Stalls of the Upper church of S. Francesco, 46

Arezzo, S. Agostino and S. Michele, 41

Augsburg work, 85, 90

B

Baccio Albini, 40

Baccio d'Agnolo, 42-43

Barck, Klaus, 88

Barili, Antonio, of Siena, 37, 38, 39 ---- ---- Panel in K.K. Museum at Vienna, 37, 38 ---- ---- description of Chapel of S. Giovanni, Siena, 39, 40, 41 ---- Giovanni, 39

Bartolommeo Poli, surnamed dalla Polla, 35, 36

Beck, Sebald, 84

Belli, Giovanni and Alessandro, 73

Bencivieni da Mercatello da Massa, Antonio di, 46-51

Benedetto da Majano, Vasari's story of the reason of his giving up working in tarsia, 20

Bergamo, Choir of S. Maria Maggiore, 79, 80 ---- Tassi's account of, 80 ---- Stalls in church of S. Stefano, 76

Bernardo di Tommaso di Ghigo, 19

Bernardino da Lendinara, 32

Brescia, Lectern from Rodengo in

Galleria Tosi, 64

Bologna, S. Domenico tarsie, by Fra Damiano, 70, 73, 75 ---- Sabba Castiglione's account, 74, 75 ---- Stalls in S. Giovanni in Monte, 66 ---- S. Michele in Bosco, stalls now in S. Petronio, 65, 66 ---- S. Petronio, 36

Boulle, André Charles, 96, 97 ---- Works by him, 97, 98, 99

Boulle, Pierre, 75-96

C

Canozio, of Lendinara, Lorenzo Genesino, 29

Capo di Ferro of Lodi, Zinino and Pietro, 80

Capo di Ferro of Lovere, Giovanni Francesco, 73, 79

Capra, Gabriel and Domenico, 54

Chapel of Palace, Siena, 13

Cecca, Il (Francesco d'Agnolo), 23, 24

Certosa, Pavia, 35

Cervelliera, Giovanni Battista, 22

Character of German inlays of late 16th Century, 85

Coburg, Hornzimmer, 86

Cornier, Conrad, 88

Cost of choir of S. Domenico, Bologna, 73

Cost of the stalls in Ferrara Cathedral, 34

Cost of stalls, Cathedral Orvieto, 10

Cremona, church of S. Sigismond, outside, 54

Cypress chest of 1350 in Victoria and Albert Museum, 104

D

Daniello di Neri Martini, 13

Danzig Sommerrathstube, 86

David of Pistoia, 41

Del Tasso, arms of the family, 24 ---- Chimenti di Domenico, 26 ---- Chimenti di Francesco, 25 ---- Domenico, 19, 25, 26 ---- Francesco, 27 ---- Francesco di Domenico, 24 ---- Giambattista called Maestro Tasso, 27, 28 ---- Lionardo, 25 ---- Marco, 26 ---- Zanobi, 25

Della Rocca, Andrea and Elia, 77, 78

Designs for intarsia made by Painters, 121

De' Marchi, Pantaleone, stalls in Museum at Berlin, 36

Domenico da Gajuolo, 42

Domenico di Mariotto, 21

Domenico di Nicolò of Siena, 10, 11

Domenico Tassi of Florence, 17

Dreyer, Hans and Jürgen, of Schleswig, 87

Dutch work, characteristics of, 92

E

Eck, Adam, 85

Elfen, brothers, of S. Michael, Hildesheim, 84

Escurial, rooms in, decorated with inlays, 86

Evers, Antonia, master of joiners' guild at Lübeck, 86

F

Ferrara, stalls in Cathedral, 33

Fischer, N., and Johann Georg of Munich, 85

Florence, 16, 18 ---- stalls at S. Maria Novella, 42 ---- stalls at S. Miniato, 42 ---- tarsia in sacristy of the Cathedral, 18, 19

Flotner, Peter, 89

Folding seat of 14th century, 84

Fra Antonio Asinelis, 73

Fra Antonio da Lunigiano, Dominican, 73

Fra Antonio da Viterbo, Dominican, 76

Fra Bernardino, Dominican, 73

Fra Damiano of Bergamo, 69-76, 79

Fra Damiano of Bergamo, the Emperor Charles V., and the Duke of Ferrara, 70, 71, 72

Fra Giovanni da Verona, 17, 57, 63

Fra Raffaello da Brescia, 63, 64

Fra Sebastian da Rovigno, 56, 57

Fra Vincenzo da Verona, called dalla Vacche, 67

Francesco di Lorenzo, Zambelli, 73, 77

Francesco Manciatto, 42

Francione, Il (Giovanni di Matteo di Firenze), 21

French Cabinets of 17th Century, 95, 96

G

Genoa, stalls in Cathedral, 77, 78

Geri of Arezzo, 41

German intarsiatori of 16th and 17th Century, 84, 85

Gilling Castle, near Wakefield, inlays, 93

Giovanni di Filippo da Fiesole, 45

Giovanni de Grassi (Giovanni de Melano), 14

Giovanni di Lodovico di Magno of Siena, 10

Giovanni Michele de Pantaleone, 77

Giovanni del Mulinella of Florence, 17

Giovanni Piccardo, 77

Giovanni di Ponteranica and his four sons, 80

Giovanni di Ser Giovanni detto Scheggione, 19

Giovanni Talini of Siena, 10

Girolamo della Cecca, 40

Giuliano di Salvatore, 21

Giusto di Francesco of Incisa, 45

Glastonbury Hall, Staircase, 94

Gole, Pierre, 92

Gottlieb, Conrad, 86

Gottorp, Castle of, Prince's prayer chamber in, 87

Gubbio, tarsia in study of Duke Guidobaldo, 52, 53

Guido da Seravallino, 21

Guido di Torino, 13

Guild of Painters, Siena, 16

H

Hans Schieferstein's Cabinet at Dresden, 90

Hardwick Hall, furniture at, 93

Herle, Simon, 86

Heywood Sumner, paper at Royal Institute of British Architects, 129, 130

I

Imitative processes, straw, wax, painting in Indian ink, &c., 129, 130, 131

Inlaid work, Greek and Latin names for, 3 ---- woods used for, by the ancients, 3, 5, 6 (note) ---- wood, cost of, in ancient times, 4

Inlaying, antiquity of, 2

Innsbruck, Hofkirche, 86

Intarsia, derivation of, 1

Invention of stains for wood, by Fra Giovanni da Verona, 18

Ivory or metals in intarsia, 124, 125

J

Jacopo da Villa, 21

Joiners' tools, priced list of Perugian of 1496, 47, 48

K

Kellerthaler, Hans, of Dresden, 85

Kiening, Isaac, of Frissen, 91

Kraus, Hans, marqueteur du roi, 94

L

Lavoro alla Certosa, or tarsia alla Certosina, 9

Leipzig Museum, Cabinet in, 91

Lendinara, Cristophano d' Andrea da, 21

Limitations of the art of intarsia, 122, 123

Loblein, Sixtus, of Landshut, 91

Lodi, Stalls in S. Bernardino, by Fra Giovanni da Verona, 63

Louvre, 4 panels from S. Benedetto Novella, Padua, of Fra Vincenzo dalla Vacche, 68

Lübeck, Kriegs Stube, 86

Lucca, panels in sacristy of Cathedral, by Christoforo da Lendinara, 32 ---- Stalls from Cathedral in Pinacotheca, 32

Luchet, M., Excursus on furniture in France, 1867, 113, 114

Lüneburg, Rathsaal, 86

M

Macé, Jean, of Blois, 92-95

Majano, Benedetto da, 19, 20

Majano, Giuliano di Nardo da, 18, 22 ---- Leonardo d' Antonio da, 19

Manuello, of Siena, 9

Marchi, of Crema, Family of, 6, 36

Mariotto di Mariotto, of Pesaro, 45

Marquetry, Derivation of, 1

Marti, Leonardo, 32

Masi, Antonio di Antonio, The Fleming, 46

Massari, Andrea, of Siena, 54

Mastei, Antonio, of Gubbio, 53

Mastro Crespolto, of Perugia, 26

Mastro Vanni di Tura dell' Ammanato, Sienese, 10

Matteo di Bernardino, of Florence, 17

Meo di Nuti, of Siena, 10

Michele Spagnuolo, 21

Milan, Cathedral, 15

Minelli, Giovanni and Cristoforo de, 45

Miniatures at Villanova, by Fra Giovanni da Verona, 59

Minnesinger's harp, of 14th Century, 8

Modern French marquetry, 125

Monte Oliveto, 55, 59, 60

Musée Cluny, wire-drawing bench made for Augustus, Elector of Saxony, 91

N

Naples, tarsia by Fra Giovanni da Verona in S. Anna dei Lombardi, 61, 62

Nicolò di Nicoluccio, 10

Nuremberg work in ebony and ivory, 90

O

[OE]ben, J. F., ébeniste du roi, 99

Orvieto, 10, 13

P

Padua, stalls in Church of S. Antonio, account by Matteo Colaccio, 30, 31

Paint and gilding added to intarsia work, 106

Paolo da Pesaro, 80

Parti of Siena, 9

Perugia, 10, 19, 26 ---- choir of the Cathedral, 19 ---- choir of S. Domenico, 26 ---- door in choir of S. Pietro in Casinense by Fra Damiano, 74 ---- Sala del Cambio, 26, 46 ---- stalls of S. Agostino, 44

Pier Antonio dell 'Abate of Modena, 29

Pietro Antonio of Florence, 17

Pietro di Maffeis, 73

Pietro di Miaella of Siena, 10

Pietro di Rizzardi, 33

Pisa Cathedral, 21, 22, 23

Polimante da Nicola, 26

Pontelli, Baccio, 21

Portuguese decorations with pierced metal plates, 83

Poverty of craftsmen, Domenico del Coro, 10, 12

Preuszen, Hans, carver, 87

R

Realism in intarsia panels, 105

Reasons for beauty in designs, 127

Reggio in Emilia, 35

Relief intarsia or Präger arbeit, 85

Returns made by Sienese craftsman for taxation, 119, 120

Riesener, J. Henry, 99, 100

Roentgen, David, 102, 103

Rome, doors of St. Peter's, by Fra Antonio da Viterbo, 76, 77

Rosenfeldt, Jochim, 87

S

S. Mary Overie, Southwark, parish chest, 93

Sallig, Andreas, 87

San Sevrino, Domenico di, 46

Savona, choir of, Cathedral, 78

Schieferstein, Hans, 85, 90

Scraping and polishing marquetry, operation of, 115, 116

Shading of subjects in marquetry, 112

Siena, 9, 10, 13, 16, 37, 60

Simone d'Antonio of Siena, 13

Sizergh Castle, panelling from, 93

South German Bride chests, 89

South German inlaid Musical Instruments, 88

Spanish inlaid work in Victoria and Albert Museum, 81, 82

T

Taddeo Bartoli's designs for chapel of Palazzo Pubblico, Siena, 11

Tassi, Domenico of Florence, 17

Tasso, Maestro, his practical joke on the Benedictine Abbot, 28

Technical description from German book of 17th century, 106

Thickness of veneers in the market, 112

Tommaso di Ceccolo, 10

Tonbridge ware, 9

To stain ivory blue, 144

To stain ivory green, 144

To stain ivory orange, 142

To stain ivory purple, 143

To stain ivory various kinds of red, 142, 143

To stain ivory yellow, 142

To stain wood black, 138, 139

To stain wood blue, 140

To stain wood green, 141

To stain wood pink, 137

To stain wood purple, 137, 138

To stain wood red, 135, 136, 137

To stain wood silver grey, 141

To stain wood yellow, 133, 134

U

Uhr, Herman, 87, 88

Ulriksdal Castle, doors of drinking room, 92

Union of the crafts in one guild, 14

Urbino, tarsia in palace of Frederic of Montefeltro, 49, 50, 51

Use of mother-of-pearl, ivory, tortoiseshell, silver, &c., 54

V

Vasari's opinion of tarsia, 17

Veneering, operation of, 108

Veneers for marquetry, thickness of, 109, 110

Venice, Sacristy of S. Elena, 57, 58

Venice, tarsia in Sacristy of S. Mark's, 67, 68, 69

Verona, Sacristy of S. Anastasia, 10

Volthurn Castle, near Brixen, 90

Von Soest, Albert, 86

Vordt, 92

Vriese, Vriedemann, 86

W

Wallace Collection, Cabinet by Claude Charles Saunier, 95

Wallace Collection, Cabinets by Oeben and Riesener, 99, 100

Wallace Collection, jewel box by Conrad Cornier, 88

Webb, Stephen, paper at the Society of Arts, 128

Wegener, Adam, figure cutter, 87

Weiskopf, Wolf, 84

Winkler, Simon, 85

Wood, exceptional scantlings used by the ancients, 6, 7

Woods, combinations of, for marquetry, 111

Woods in use in England for marquetry, 112 ---- used by the marqueteurs of Nice, 115 ---- used by Riesener, 101 ---- used in Barili's panel, 38 ---- used in the best period, 106 ---- used in stalls, Cathedral, Orvieto, 10 ---- used on the Continent for veneers, 111

Z

Zambelli, of Bergamo, Stefano di Antoniuolo de, 46, 73

Zampiero da Padova, 73

Zanetto da Bergamo, 72, 73

_Willam Hodge & Co., Glasgow and Edinburgh_

End of Project Gutenberg's Intarsia and Marquetry, by F. Hamilton Jackson