2020 Essays

Jasper Imitation on Horn

Estrades, Ana

“Counterfeit jasper” on fol. 10r presents three distinct processes for transforming horn: painting with colored varnish, applying dyed yarn, and shaping and coloring horn shavings into a “rose.” This essay discusses the author-practitioner’s experiential knowledge of horn and its intrinsic properties, particularly with regard to his attempt to make the resulting imitation jasper translucent, and his use of the terms “thin,” “luster,” and “fatty polish.” It examines a possible context for this recipe in Renaissance furniture inlay, especially the tarsia technique with inlays of stained woods, bone, and horn.