Art of moulding Carving in IVood. 251' 



sule filled with calcined potash. The moisture of the air 

 bv which the ilgures were surrounded was soon absorbed, 

 and the hygrometer indicated zero. In order to ascertain 

 whether the whole moisture imbibed by the unvarnished 

 figure was entirely dissipated, I left every thing in statu quo 

 for four hours, the hygrometer still indicating zero. I then 

 took out the two figures, neither of which had experienced 

 the least alteration. 



Experiment III. 



I repeated the first experiment with a view to cause the 

 two figures to absorb as much moisture as possible ; and 

 when the hvgron)eter marked 100° I took them from the 

 bell, 'and suddenly introduced them into a stove the heat of 

 V. hich was 50° of Reaumur. The unvarnished one became 

 dry vvithout cracking, and the other showed a little soften- 

 ing in the varnish. This effect I ascribed to the imperfect 

 desiccation before the experiment, for the softening was 

 more considerable than is generally the case when a var- 

 nished body is exposed to heat. 



These experiments appeared to me sufficient to induce 

 me to conclude, that sculpture in moulded wood, according 

 to the process here described, is unalterable by moisture or 

 drought, for in our climates the thermometer never rises to 

 50°. Such sculptured figures have the solidity of wood, 

 and are even preferable to it; for a slight blow given to 

 w ood, if cut across the fibres, will detach some ot the parts ; 

 whereas figures formed of artificial wood, if I may be al- 

 lowed the expression, are homogeneous in all their parts, 

 and are not so ea,iily broken. 



Besides the advantages which this invention on the first 

 view exhibits, it oHers others which may be of great utility 

 to our arts and manufactures. 



1st, In the large manufactories of mirrors the ornaments 

 in general are in a very bad taste and miserably executed, 

 because the carvers arc very ill paid. If this new method 

 be adopted, sculptors would pay more attention to their first 

 work : they would mould their ornaments in plaster or in 

 sulphur, then take a multitude of copies with tlie greatest 

 facilit\-, and these ornaments would add to the value of our 

 furniture. 



2d, lulayers would make much more elegant works by 

 employing pastes of different coloured woods, which might 

 be managecl with greater ease than the thin pieces of co- 

 loured boards which they employ. 1 am now engaged with 



some 



