2020 Essays

Molding a Rose

Chiostrini, Giulia; Palframan, Jef

Of the many entries in Ms. Fr. 640 that contain instructions and observations on the lifecasting of plants and animals, those on fols. 155r-v deal with molding and casting a rose. Like other lifecasting entries, these appear to be a record of the author-practitioner’s first-hand experience, perhaps even evidence that he was learning as he experimented with various plants. This essay follows the author-practitioner’s instructions for molding and casting a rose, an endeavor that required close and repeated reading and trying of many of the manuscript’s other entries on the lifecasting of plants and animals.