PW-Jewelry-Box-art - 3/8/09 ਀ഊ"Pierced Work Walnut Jewelry Box" by Lady Stephanie Lilburn. ਀ഊNOTE: See also the files: 6-board-chest-art, chests-msg, caskets-boxes-msg, caskets-boxes-bib, Lea-Hardware-art, woodworking-msg, wood-finishes-msg, wood-msg, tools-msg. ਀ഊ************************************************************************ ਀一伀吀䤀䌀䔀 ⴀഊ ਀吀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀 眀愀猀 猀甀戀洀椀琀琀攀搀 琀漀 洀攀 戀礀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 昀漀爀 椀渀挀氀甀猀椀漀渀 椀渀 琀栀椀猀 猀攀琀 漀昀 昀椀氀攀猀Ⰰ 挀愀氀氀攀搀 匀琀攀昀愀渀✀猀 䘀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀ ഊ ਀吀栀攀猀攀 昀椀氀攀猀 愀爀攀 愀瘀愀椀氀愀戀氀攀 漀渀 琀栀攀 䤀渀琀攀爀渀攀琀 愀琀㨀 栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀昀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀漀爀最ഊ ਀䌀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 挀漀渀琀攀渀琀猀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀 爀攀洀愀椀渀猀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 漀爀 琀爀愀渀猀氀愀琀漀爀⸀ഊ ਀圀栀椀氀攀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 眀椀氀氀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 最椀瘀攀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 昀漀爀 琀栀椀猀 眀漀爀欀 琀漀 戀攀 爀攀瀀爀椀渀琀攀搀 椀渀 匀䌀䄀 琀礀瀀攀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀Ⰰ 瀀氀攀愀猀攀 挀栀攀挀欀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 昀椀爀猀琀 漀爀 挀栀攀挀欀 昀漀爀 愀渀礀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀猀 最爀愀渀琀攀搀 愀琀 琀栀攀 攀渀搀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀⸀ഊ ਀吀栀愀渀欀 礀漀甀ⰀഊMark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous ਀猀琀攀昀愀渀 愀琀 昀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀漀爀最ഊ************************************************************************ ਀ഊThis is the documentation for Lady Stephanie's entry in the Ansteorran Kingdom Arts & Sciences Competition in 2008. ਀ഊ ਀倀椀攀爀挀攀搀 圀漀爀欀 圀愀氀渀甀琀 䨀攀眀攀氀爀礀 䈀漀砀ഊ15th Century Italy ਀戀礀 䰀愀搀礀 匀琀攀瀀栀愀渀椀攀 䰀椀氀戀甀爀渀ഊ ਀ഊ ਀ഊAbstract ਀ഊThis is a walnut jewelry box with pierced work sides and top. This abstract summarizes the process of creating the box, as well as the research into period methods of constructing such boxes. For additional information, please see the body of my documentation, the photographs of period examples, and the copy of the pattern for the box I purchased from the Timber Lace Company. ਀ഊ The fret saw came to Italy from Arab countries in the 15th century. The brace, a sort of handle for a drill bit, came into use around the same time. These two innovations allowed for the drilling of small holes into wood, followed by the thin blade of the fret saw. The woodworker could then carve a delicate pattern in thin woods. Wood as thin as one quarter or one eighth inch was used in intarsia by the Italians. ਀ഊ Patterns to be carved were pounced on the wood for the cutter to follow. Because this is messy and the patterns are easily smeared, I photocopied my pattern and glued it to the wood with rubber cement. This allows the pattern to be removed easily after all the cuts are made. Due to the extreme amount of time hand drilling and sawing would take, I used a drill press to drill the entry holes for my saw blade, and a scroll saw to make the cuts. Even with these power tools, it took over forty hours to make the cuts and assemble the box. ਀ഊ Woodworkers used whatever woods were available in the area for their projects. Some woods were more prized than others. Oak was the most prized. European Oak is very expensive, however. I chose walnut because it is available in both Europe and North America, although the cultivars are somewhat different. It is also easier to work than oak. ਀ഊ The box was constructed using butt joints, a common joint used on most of the period examples I found. I used modern woodworking glue, a type of casein glue. While hide glue was often used to glue up intarsia panels and in furniture making, it will melt in hot and humid conditions. This makes its use problematic in the Texas climate. The box is lined with velveteen material to protect the jewelry and enhance the beauty of the box. ਀ഊWorking with extremely thin wood is frustrating because it warps so easily. It also vibrates to pieces when using the scroll saw if you do not use a great deal of care. Cutting the joints so that they are straight and join properly is also difficult. It takes a great deal of practice to do so. Making a box this ornate took over forty hours of work, even with the scroll saw. It would take months by hand. In addition, using a fret saw effectively to cut ornate shapes takes both strength and dexterity. ਀ഊShort History of Woodworking ਀ഊ Wood has been worked into usable objects since the dawn of recorded history. The Hebrew God commanded Noah to build an ark of gopher wood in the Hebrew Bible, and Joseph, Jesus' foster father, was a carpenter. Wood was not just worked, however. Human beings seem to have an intrinsic need to make their surroundings beautiful, even when making something utilitarian such as spoons, boxes or simple storage chests [1]. As can be seen in the illustrations section of this document, a simple cabinet to hold linen in the tomb of Tutankhamum was made of exotic wood and decorated with pierced carving. [2] ਀ഊ For most of history, woodworkers started with an uncut tree. After the tree was felled, or was purchased already felled from a local landowner, it was cut into lengths from around eight to twenty feet. These lengths were then either split with an ax and wedges into planks or sawn into planks, depending on the era and manpower available. If split, the planks were roughly shaped with an adze, a type of smoothing ax, before being taken into the shop for further use. [3] By the fifteenth century, it was possible for woodworkers to buy planks sawn by a sawmill, saving them much labor. [4] ਀ഊ Tools. One frustration for the student of medieval tools is the tendency of woodworkers to use tools until they wore out, then either recycle them into new tools or sell them as scrap. [5] This means that relatively few tools have been found that could be dated with any certainty. When found, however, tools across time remain astonishingly similar. With the exception of the brace, a sort of handle for a hand drill, and the fret saw, woodworking tools did not change very much from Roman times until around the eighteenth century. [6] The tools from the Mastermyr Find, a tool chest found in a Gotland, Sweden bog that dates to around the middle of the 12th century, and the tools on the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's warship, are very similar. ਀ഊ The fret saw first appeared in the 10th century in the Arab countries. The ornate pierced wood screens used to separate parts of rooms from one another were probably made using this saw. [7] Italian intarsia makers began to use a fret saw during the 15th century. This saw has a long, thin blade that can be inserted into a hole made by a drill bit and used to saw delicate patterns in wood. This made much more ornate patterns possible in very thin wood than could have been made by using a chisel to remove the wood. [8] ਀ഊ Items made of wood tended to suffer a fate similar to the tools that made them: they were used until they wore out, then either recycled into another item or burned. This means that the wooden implements and furniture used by the vast majority of the populace did not survive. Only items used by the very rich or by the church tended to make their way into museums, leaving large gaps in the understanding of what items existed and were used. Fragile items, such as items made of pierced carving, survived even less frequently than more robust items, such as chairs or chests. ਀ഊFretwork Boxes ਀ഊ I was able to locate two clear examples of what might be termed fretwork, or pierced carving that removes large portions of the wood while leaving a delicate design behind. Both are in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The first, a 13th century casket, is made of carved and painted wood overlaid with pierced ivory panels [9]. The wood is painted black to show up clearly behind the spaces in the ivory. This piece was made in southern Italy. In the pictures (see period examples section), one can clearly see the brads holding the ivory to the wooden underbox. ਀ഊ The second example is a box from France or Spain that dates from around 1450 c.e. [10] The box, while listed as a casket, is also mentioned as a good example of a box used for storing jewelry and trinkets. It is made from wood, covered with colored paper, then had fretwork panels inset over the colored paper. The fretwork panels are quite ornate and must have taken a long time to carve by hand. When I inquired what type of wood the box was made of, I received an email from Antonia Brodie, the assistant curator in the Department of Furniture, Textiles, and Fashion stating that it was probably made of pearwood. ਀ഊ The box that I have made is a jewelry box. It is similar in design to the wooden box with fretwood over a solid inner box mentioned above. This type of construction is found in other boxes. A photograph of a carved 8th-10th century Scottish box in Finlay (1973) shows very clearly the inner box with the carved panels fixed to the outside (see period illustrations in the documentation). My box differs in that the boxes I have found have a solid inner box with the fretwork panels glued and/or nailed to the inner box, while this box is only fretwork panels. However, there are ivory boxes made in this manner that are still in existence [11]. The pattern was bought from the Timber Lace company and is included in the pattern section of my documentation. While intarsia makers used a cartoon, or drawing, of the finished work, they pounced the pattern on the specific piece to be cut out. This is messy and the pattern becomes smeared easily. I photocopied the pattern and glued it on the walnut using rubber cement. After drilling entry holes and using a scroll saw to cut the pierced work, I peeled off the pattern and sanded the wood to remove any adhesive left behind. I used the scroll saw instead of a fret saw because the time it would have taken to do the pierced carving by hand was prohibitive. ਀ഊWoods Used ਀ഊ What woods were used in medieval woodworking? The short answer is whatever woods were at hand. Hunter (n.d.) mentions that before the 16th century, different types of wood in England such as sallow, willow, plumtree, hardbeam, and elm were used, but by the 16th century, they used primarily oak. European Oak is very difficult to obtain and very expensive. Walnut is available in both Europe and North America, although the cultivars are somewhat different. Due to expense, I used North American walnut. ਀ഊ The box is built using end joints glued with modern woodworking glue, a type of casein glue [12]. While hide glue was often used to glue up intarsia panels and in furniture making, it will melt in hot and humid conditions [13]. This makes its use problematic in the Texas climate. The box is lined with velveteen material to protect the jewelry and enhance the beauty of the box. ਀ഊLessons Learned ਀ഊWorking with extremely thin wood is frustrating because it warps so easily. It also vibrates to pieces when using the scroll saw if you do not use a great deal of care. Cutting the joints so that they are straight and join properly is also difficult. It takes a great deal of practice to do so. Making a box this ornate took over forty hours of work, even with the scroll saw. It would take months by hand. In addition, using a fret saw effectively to cut ornate shapes takes both strength and dexterity. ਀ഊFootnotes ਀ഊ ਀嬀㄀崀 䨀漀栀渀猀漀渀 ⠀渀⸀搀⸀⤀ ഊ[2] Tour Egypt website ਀嬀㌀崀 䨀漀栀渀猀漀渀 ⠀渀⸀搀⸀⤀Ⰰ 䈀攀愀氀攀爀 ⠀㄀㤀㤀㘀⤀Ⰰ 䠀愀氀猀琀攀愀搀 ⠀㈀　　㌀⤀⸀ഊ[4] Halstead (2003) ਀嬀㔀崀 䠀愀氀猀琀攀愀搀 ⠀㈀　　㌀⤀ഊ[6] Johnson (n.d.), Bealer (1980), Halstead (2003) ਀嬀㜀崀 圀椀氀洀攀爀椀渀最 ⠀㄀㤀㤀㤀⤀ഊ[8] Wilmering (1999) ਀嬀㤀崀 䴀甀猀攀甀洀 渀甀洀戀攀爀 㘀㤀㜀㐀ⴀ㄀㠀㘀　ഊ[10] Museum number 1206-1864 ਀嬀㄀㄀崀 䴀愀挀䜀爀攀最漀爀 ⠀㄀㤀㠀㔀⤀ഊ[12] Heath (2007) ਀嬀㄀㌀崀 䠀攀愀琀栀 ⠀㈀　　㜀⤀Ⰰ 圀椀氀洀攀爀椀渀最 ⠀㄀㤀㤀㤀⤀ഊ ਀䈀椀戀氀椀漀最爀愀瀀栀礀ഊ ਀䈀攀愀氀攀爀Ⰰ 䄀⸀  ⠀㄀㤀㤀㘀⤀⸀  伀氀搀 圀愀礀猀 漀昀 圀漀爀欀椀渀最 圀漀漀搀㨀  吀栀攀 吀攀挀栀渀椀焀甀攀猀 愀渀搀 吀漀漀氀猀 漀昀 愀 吀椀洀攀ⴀ䠀漀渀漀爀攀搀 䌀爀愀昀琀Ⰰ 刀攀瘀椀猀攀搀 䔀搀椀琀椀漀渀⸀  䔀搀椀猀漀渀Ⰰ 一䨀㨀  䌀愀猀琀氀攀 䈀漀漀欀猀⸀ഊ ਀䘀椀渀氀愀礀Ⰰ 䤀⸀  ⠀㄀㤀㜀㌀⤀⸀  䌀攀氀琀椀挀 䄀爀琀㨀  䄀渀 䤀渀琀爀漀搀甀挀琀椀漀渀⸀  倀愀爀欀 刀椀搀最攀Ⰰ 一䨀㨀  一漀礀攀猀 倀爀攀猀猀⸀ഊ ਀䠀愀氀猀琀攀愀搀Ⰰ 䜀⸀  ⠀䄀甀琀甀洀渀Ⰰ ㈀　　㌀⤀⸀  䔀甀爀漀瀀攀愀渀 圀漀漀搀眀漀爀欀椀渀最 吀漀漀氀猀㨀  㘀　　ⴀ㄀㘀　　 䌀⸀䔀⸀ 吀栀攀 䌀漀洀瀀氀攀愀琀 䄀渀愀挀栀爀漀渀椀猀琀Ⰰ  䴀椀氀瀀椀琀愀猀Ⰰ 䌀䄀㨀  匀䌀䄀⸀ഊ ਀䠀愀氀猀琀攀愀搀Ⰰ 䜀⸀  ⠀一⸀搀⸀⤀ 䤀渀琀攀爀椀漀爀 圀漀漀搀 䘀椀渀椀猀栀椀渀最 椀渀 䴀攀搀椀攀瘀愀氀 愀渀搀 刀攀渀愀椀猀猀愀渀挀攀 䔀甀爀漀瀀攀⸀  倀漀猀琀攀搀 椀渀 昀椀氀攀 猀攀挀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 洀攀搀椀攀瘀愀氀 眀漀漀搀眀漀爀欀椀渀最 礀愀栀漀漀 最爀漀甀瀀猀⸀ഊ ਀䠀攀愀琀栀Ⰰ 䴀⸀  ⠀㄀猀琀 儀甀愀爀琀攀爀Ⰰ ㈀　　㜀⤀⸀  䄀 瀀爀愀挀琀椀挀愀氀 最甀椀搀攀 琀漀 洀攀搀椀攀瘀愀氀 愀搀栀攀猀椀瘀攀猀⸀  吀栀攀 䌀漀洀瀀氀攀愀琀 䄀渀愀挀栀爀漀渀椀猀琀Ⰰ  䴀椀氀瀀椀琀愀猀Ⰰ 䌀䄀㨀  匀䌀䄀⸀ഊ ਀䠀甀渀琀攀爀Ⰰ 匀⸀  ⠀渀⸀搀⸀⤀ 䴀攀搀椀攀瘀愀氀 圀漀漀搀猀㨀  䄀渀 攀砀愀洀椀渀愀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 琀栀攀 眀漀漀搀猀 挀漀洀洀漀渀 椀渀 䴀攀搀椀攀瘀愀氀 䰀椀昀攀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀椀爀 一漀爀琀栀 䄀洀攀爀椀挀愀渀 䌀漀甀渀琀攀爀瀀愀爀琀猀⸀ 倀漀猀琀攀搀 椀渀 昀椀氀攀 猀攀挀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 洀攀搀椀攀瘀愀氀 眀漀漀搀眀漀爀欀椀渀最 礀愀栀漀漀 最爀漀甀瀀猀⸀ഊ ਀䨀漀栀渀猀漀渀Ⰰ 刀⸀  ⠀渀⸀搀⸀⤀  䄀 䈀爀椀攀昀 䤀渀琀爀漀搀甀挀琀椀漀渀 琀漀 圀漀漀搀眀漀爀欀椀渀最 椀渀 琀栀攀 嘀椀欀椀渀最 䄀最攀⸀  栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀漀猀琀瘀椀欀⸀漀爀最⼀愀爀琀椀挀氀攀猀⼀瘀椀欀椀渀最开眀漀漀搀㄀⸀栀琀洀氀⸀ഊ ਀䴀愀挀䜀爀攀最漀爀Ⰰ 䄀⸀  ⠀㄀㤀㠀㔀⤀⸀  䈀漀渀攀Ⰰ 䄀渀琀氀攀爀Ⰰ 䤀瘀漀爀礀Ⰰ ☀ 䠀漀爀渀㨀  吀栀攀 吀攀挀栀渀漀氀漀最礀 漀昀 匀欀攀氀攀琀愀氀 䴀愀琀攀爀椀愀氀猀 匀椀渀挀攀 琀栀攀 刀漀洀愀渀 倀攀爀椀漀搀⸀  吀漀琀漀眀愀Ⰰ 一䨀㨀  䈀愀爀渀攀猀 ☀ 一漀戀氀攀 䈀漀漀欀猀⸀ഊ ਀圀椀氀洀攀爀椀渀最Ⰰ 䄀⸀  ⠀㄀㤀㤀㤀⤀⸀  吀栀攀 䜀甀戀戀椀漀 匀琀甀搀椀漀氀漀 愀渀搀 椀琀猀 挀漀渀猀攀爀瘀愀琀椀漀渀㨀  䤀䤀 䤀琀愀氀椀愀渀 刀攀渀愀椀猀猀愀渀挀攀 䤀渀琀愀爀猀椀愀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 䌀漀渀猀攀爀瘀愀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 琀栀攀 䜀甀戀戀椀漀 匀琀甀搀椀漀氀漀⸀  一夀㨀  吀栀攀 䴀攀琀爀漀瀀漀氀椀琀愀渀 䴀甀猀攀甀洀 漀昀 䄀爀琀⸀ഊ------ ਀䌀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 ㈀　　㜀 戀礀 匀琀攀瀀栀愀渀椀攀 匀洀椀琀栀Ⰰ 倀栀⸀䐀⸀ 㐀㌀㌀ 䌀漀甀渀琀礀 刀漀愀搀 ㄀　　㘀Ⰰ 圀漀氀昀攀 䌀椀琀礀Ⰰ 吀攀砀愀猀 㜀㔀㐀㤀㘀⸀ 㰀䰀愀洀戀搀愀欀攀渀渀攀氀猀㄀ 愀琀 樀甀渀漀⸀挀漀洀㸀⸀ 倀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 椀猀 最爀愀渀琀攀搀 昀漀爀 爀攀瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀 椀渀 匀䌀䄀ⴀ爀攀氀愀琀攀搀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀Ⰰ 瀀爀漀瘀椀搀攀搀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 椀猀 挀爀攀搀椀琀攀搀⸀  䄀搀搀爀攀猀猀攀猀 挀栀愀渀最攀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 愀 爀攀愀猀漀渀愀戀氀攀 愀琀琀攀洀瀀琀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 洀愀搀攀 琀漀 攀渀猀甀爀攀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 爀攀挀攀椀瘀攀猀 愀 挀漀瀀礀⸀ഊ ਀䤀昀 琀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀 椀猀 爀攀瀀爀椀渀琀攀搀 椀渀 愀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 䤀 眀漀甀氀搀 愀瀀瀀爀攀挀椀愀琀攀 愀 渀漀琀椀挀攀 椀渀 琀栀攀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀 琀栀愀琀 礀漀甀 昀漀甀渀搀 琀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀 椀渀 琀栀攀 䘀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀ 䤀 眀漀甀氀搀 愀氀猀漀 愀瀀瀀爀攀挀椀愀琀攀 愀渀 攀洀愀椀氀 琀漀 洀礀猀攀氀昀Ⰰ 猀漀 琀栀愀琀 䤀 挀愀渀 琀爀愀挀欀 眀栀椀挀栀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀猀 愀爀攀 戀攀椀渀最 爀攀瀀爀椀渀琀攀搀⸀ 吀栀愀渀欀猀⸀ ⴀ匀琀攀昀愀渀⸀ഊ ਀㰀琀栀攀 攀渀搀㸀ഊEdited by Mark S. Harris PW-Jewelry-Box-art Page 6 of 6 ਀ഊ