Fish Glue Annotation Plan

1.

Sasha Grabovskiy, Casa (Xinguo) Wang

2.

Goals:


The history of animal glue--including fish glue-- has been used for building, restoring, and repairing from ancient Egypt to today.
Fish glue can be made from various parts of organs of fish, like skin, bones and parts; for different uses fish glue can be used with/without other additives like spirit (for gluing separate parts of a life cast like a rose or a fly). We would like to find what kind of specific fish glue the author-practitioner used, or what would have been the most common fish glue of the time.
Fish glue is mentioned in different casting recipes with some instructions. Because fish glue is introduced at the very beginning of the manuscript, we assume that it is an important tool in MS Fr. 640. By acting as both an elementary tool and a natural product, Fish Glue plays typical role in engaging with nature in the early modern Europe.
It is still popular and crucial in today's woodwork shop. We also want to make it according to the antique recipe to see how it compares in quality with other animal glues used today.

A) To create a usable Fish Glue according to the instructions in MS Fr. 640 and referencing contemporary sources (Cennino)

B) To gain a hands-on understanding of the role of adhesives in the Manuscript, and explore the strengths, weaknesses, and difficulties of production.

3.

Recipes to be used.

A) FIRST RECIPE (From MS Fr. 640)


<id>p007r_a4</id>

<head><m><al>Fish</al> glue</m> or <m>usblac</m> and <m>mouth glue</m></head>
<ab>It is made from <m><al>codfish</al> skin</m> that has been boiled rather than <m>salted</m>. <pro>Joiners</pro> use it on their masterpieces and <pro>guitar makers</pro> use it for their more delicate works. It needs to be strongly whipped, then soaked gently in barely boiling <m>water</m>.</ab>

<ab><m>Mouth glue</m> is made of <m>parchment</m> scraps and used to glue <m>paper</m> or similar things without fire, by wetting it with one's <tl> <bp>mouth</bp></tl>.</ab>
<ab>

<margin>left-bottom</margin>

It is whipped and left to soak in <m>white wine</m> for one night, then melted over a low heat. Others soak it in <m>spirits</m>.</ab> </div>

A) SECOND RECIPE (From The Craftsman's Handbook "Il Libro dell'Arte" by Cennino Cennini)

How Fish Glue is Used, and How it is Tempered (Chapter CVIII)

There is a glue which is known as fish glue. This glue is made from various kinds of fish. If you put the little piece, or leaf, in your mouth, just as it is, until it gets a little wet, and rub it on sheep parchments or other parchments, this fastens them together very securely. To dissolve it,...It is good and excellent for mending lutes and other fine paper, wooden, or bone objects. When you put it on the fire, put in half a goblet of clear water for each leaf.

4.

According to the Manuscript, we make the fish glue from a "codfish skin that has been boiled rather than salted. We will experiment with various ratios of water to fish skin to find the optimal viscosity and gluing capability. The instructions to "whip...and soak in white wine for one night, then melt[] over a low heat...[or] soak in spirits." seem to apply to the fish glue, so we will do that as the final step.
 We will also attempt to understand what is the nature of "mouth glue" , and seeing under what circumstances it can be "wet with one's mouth" to work as an effective adhesive (using Cennini as another source).


5.
Expected Materials:




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