The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 486 pages of information about The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 2.

The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 486 pages of information about The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 2.
And for carving the moulding of the stone under the figure of the
deceased .......... duc. 40.
For the statue of the deceased, to do it well .......... duc. 100.
For 6 harpies with candelabra, at 25 ducats each ......... duc. 150.
For squaring the stone on which the statue lies, and carving the
moulding ............ duc. 20.

in all .. duc. 1075.

The sum total of every thing added together amount to ...... duc.
3046.

726.

Mint at Rome.

It can also be made without a spring.  But the screw above must always be joined to the part of the movable sheath:  [Margin note:  The mint of Rome.] [Footnote:  See Pl.  LXXVI.  This passage is taken from a note book which can be proved to have been used in Rome.]

All coins which do not have the rim complete, are not to be accepted as good; and to secure the perfection of their rim it is requisite that, in the first place, all the coins should be a perfect circle; and to do this a coin must before all be made perfect in weight, and size, and thickness.  Therefore have several plates of metal made of the same size and thickness, all drawn through the same gauge so as to come out in strips.  And out of [24] these strips you will stamp the coins, quite round, as sieves are made for sorting chestnuts [27]; and these coins can then be stamped in the way indicated above; &c.

[31] The hollow of the die must be uniformly wider than the lower, but imperceptibly [35].

This cuts the coins perfectly round and of the exact thickness, and weight; and saves the man who cuts and weighs, and the man who makes the coins round.  Hence it passes only through the hands of the gauger and of the stamper, and the coins are very superior. [Footnote:  See Pl.  LXXVI No. 2.  The text of lines 31-35 stands parallel 1. 24-27.

Farther evidence of Leonardo’s occupations and engagements at Rome under Pope Leo X. may be gathered from some rough copies of letters which will be found in this volume.  Hitherto nothing has been known of his work in Rome beyond some doubtful, and perhaps mythical, statements in Vasari.]

727.

Powder for medals.

The incombustible growth of soot on wicks reduced to powder, burnt tin and all the metals, alum, isinglass, smoke from a brass forge, each ingredient to be moistened, with aqua vitae or malmsey or strong malt vinegar, white wine or distilled extract of turpentine, or oil; but there should be little moisture, and cast in moulds. [Margin note:  On the coining of medals (727. 728).] [Footnote:  The meaning of scagliuolo in this passage is doubtful.]

728.

Of taking casts of medals.

A paste of emery mixed with aqua vitae, or iron filings with vinegar, or ashes of walnut leaves, or ashes of straw very finely powdered.

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The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 2 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.