2020 Essays

A Fragmentary Goldsmithing Manuscript from Seventeenth-Century Toulouse

Muñoz, Sarah

The Archives municipales of Toulouse hold an unpublished fragment of an anonymous seventeenth-century manuscript that compiles goldsmiths’ statutes, recipes from a goldsmithing workshop, and knowledge on stones and minerals. As part of the Mint’s collection, it raises questions related primarily to its source and use. Through analysis of the manuscript’s eight folios, this essay compares it with Ms. Fr. 640. In contrast to Ms. Fr. 640’s many recipes, this document shows a more heterogeneous character, however, some of its recipes, as well as its lively interest in gemstones, display surprising similarities with Ms. Fr. 640.