I have been looking, for some time, for manuals, compendiums and written sources analyzing the methods and materials used by craftsmen from antiquity to the late medieval period. I am looking particularly for woodworking, bone working, and metal smithing. Ceramics, sculpting and painting, while appreciated, are outside of my realm of practice. Any and all books and articles are much appreciated.
I'm a Medieval/Renaissance re-enactor. I'm working on a recognition in the arts. I found these sources to be helpful:
On Divers Arts, attributed to Theophilius. The translators do a good job in justifying their hypothesis on authorship. The book covers metalworking along with other crafts/arts.
Houseman Books of the Nuremberg 12-Brother Foundation - In 1388, Konrad Mendel created a foundation for 12 retired craftsmen in Nuremberg. The money from this foundation lasted until the 1800s. From about 1425, the "brothers," or recipients of the foundation, had their portraits done with the tools of their trade. The books we have of those portraits seem to start right around 1526 - just outside your time period, but probably still representative of the techniques.
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