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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

'The way of making Several China varnishes sent from the Jesuits in China to the great Duke of Tuscany' communicated by Dr William Sherard

Reference number: RBO/8/11

Description

How to make crude varnish - the way of boiling the oil of wood called by the Portuguese 'Aziete de Pao' - to give the first grounds called Camipeia - to make the black varnish - to make the varnish to the colour of pitch - to make the red varnish - to make yellow varnish - to make varnish of a musk colour

Reference number
RBO/8/11
Page extent
3 pages
Format
Manuscript

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Citation

'The way of making Several China varnishes sent from the Jesuits in China to the great Duke of Tuscany' communicated by Dr William Sherard, RBO/8/11, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/rbo_8_11/the-way-of-making-several-china-varnishes-sent-from-the-jesuits-in-china-to-the-great-duke-of-tuscany-communicated-by-dr-william-sherard, accessed on 17 May 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/rbo_8_11/the-way-of-making-several-china-varnishes-sent-from-the-jesuits-in-china-to-the-great-duke-of-tuscany-communicated-by-dr-william-sherard

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    The 'Register Books Originals' contain copies of scientific papers submitted to the Society and considered for publication. The papers were transcribed to establish their precedence for a particular discovery or idea.

    Dates: 1661 - 1739

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