Re Armando's comment: only in cases where casting was used. The Romans, who were the ancient world's best copiers, perfected a "pointing" method for copying Greek originals. They placed a broad disk or rectangle (same diameter or shape as dressed stone to be cut) atop the marble piece to be copied and then dropped rods from it all around. Then they measured the distance from the rods to a point on the surface of the piece being copied. Hundreds of measuremens were made. Then taking the new block of stone, shaped to the disc or rectangle they would drill (yes, drill) into the new stone to the exact depth of each measurement. Finally, the stone would be cut away all around to the depth of each hole. Then the whole was smoothed and polished. Of course this method required great skill but many copies could be made from one original; in fact, copies could be made from the records of measurements alone. The Smithsonian Museum of American Art in D.C. used to display a partially finished Roman marble copy. Don't ask why it was in that museum, I don't know. It's no longer on view there (2008). Interestingly, Leon Battista Alberti described this pointing method in his book on sculpture in the early Renaissace.
WC --- On Tue, 11/11/08, armando baeza <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: armando baeza <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Beautiful and Intriguing Knickknacks > To: [email protected] > Cc: "armando baeza" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 8:53 PM > I got news for you. the plaster model is not the original. > The original was clay, and long gone. > mando > > On Nov 11, 2008, at 6:24 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > In a message dated 11/11/08 6:27:49 PM, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > > >> I'm for originals, even if they finally decay > or are lost. We can't > >> perfect human history. As my neighbor Marcus > Aurelius said > >> yesterday, > > "Ultimately, > >> everything will vanish." > >> WC > >> > > I think I'm for that. Make the copy for the > preservation vault > > against the > > calamitous day when the original is no more. But, till > then, let us > > look upon > > the real thing. > > > > > > > > ************** > > AOL Search: Your one stop for directions, recipes and > all other > > Holiday needs. Search Now. > > > (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212792382x1200798498/aol? > > > redir=http > > ://searchblog.aol.com/2008/11/04/happy-holidays-from > > -aol-search/?ncid=emlcntussear00000001)
