Finishes & Paints for Woodworking

The Allerley Mackel is an example of the popular kunstbuchlein, or collection of household & artisanal recipes, popular during the 16th century. My transcription was taken from the facsimile of the Allerley Matkel printed in Sidney Edelstein's article of the same name in the Journal of Technology & Culture, Vol V, No. 3, Summer 1964. The recipes are supplemented by my notes.

The full text of the English translation, featuring recipes for artists' supplies, and instructions for techniques.

The book these recipes were transcribed from is in the National Art Library in England. The volume is cobbled together from various chapters/volumes of the 16th c. bestselling work, the Secretes of Alexis of Piedmont. Originally published by Ruscelli in Italian, it was quickly translated into French, German and English. A number of different books and chapters on a number of different topics were printed. This document is a transcription of all of the recipes related to cleaning of fabric & textiles and dyeing of fabric, leather & other materials.

Medieval tastes and traditions in furniture decoration varied over time and between regions. Very few examples of original surfaces survive, as most surviving pieces have been refinished numerous times over hundreds of years. While modern finishes are easy to spot, it is very hard to discern a 400-year-old finish on a 600 year-old artifact. The problem is compounded by the selective survival of artifacts; the pieces that have survived tend to be those that were highly valued and well cared for. This tends to exclude many common household objects and much of what was owned by the middle and lower classes.

Working in wood was one of the most important crafts of the Viking Age, and resulted in many of the most famous works of art that survive. Learn about tools, types of wood, finishing, and carving.