2020 Essays

Stucco for Molding

Elizondo-Garza, Nina

The entry “Stucco for molding” on fol. 29r describes a method for creating stucco which the author-practitioner claims is versatile and inexpensive. This essay offers a material-based analysis of the entry, drawing on insights from laboratory reconstructions, and a historical investigation of ancient and early modern stucco recipes and stucco use to better situate the author-practitioner within his context. These comparisons reveal that the author-practitioner’s recipe, particularly its use of tragacanth gum, is unusual. Moreover, the entry highlights the author-practitioner’s interest in ornamentation, his focus on using pre-existing patterns rather than creating new ones, and his possible first-hand experiences of making domestic and ephemeral decorative art.