The Resurrection of Benvenuto Cellini: A Mini-Essay

     In 1535, Benvenuto Cellini, the Renaissance artist famous for works like Saliera (1543) and Perseus with the Head of Medusa (1554), became gravely ill after returning to Rome at Pope Clement VII’s request. Over the course of several days, the famed artisan’s condition worsened and, despite the efforts of his assistant Felice to administer remedies, he died in the middle of the night. Mortified, Felice dashed to Doctor Franceso da Norcia’s house and was given oil to anoint Cellini’s chest and wrists and instructions to firmly pinch his small fingers and toes. When the method – common in the era for reviving presumably deceased individuals – failed, orders were placed for Cellini’s corpse to be washed and a shroud to be cut in preparation for his burial. Suddenly, Cellini regained consciousness and began calling for Felice to protect him from a mysterious old man trying to harm him: “Felice wanted to send for the doctor, but I told him instead of doing this to stand close by me, because the old man was moving away from him and obviously frightened. When I touched Felice the old man appeared to run off in a rage, so I again pleaded with him to stay near me.”[1] Despite the ailment’s persistence, Cellini recovered over the span of days. From Plato’s Republic to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Premature Burial,” evidence of catalepsy being mistaken as death has existed for centuries.[2] Some, such as Milton Erickson, Seymour Hershman, and Irving Sector, attribute Cellini’s miraculous resurrection to the disorder.[3] Others, like Erling Eng, contend it is merely the exaggerated fabrications of a narcissistic artist.[4] In fact, Cellini’s autobiography is filled with outlandish scenarios that verge on fiction: ethereal visions of guardian angels, a halo of light encompassing Cellini’s head after his imprisonment, necromancy in the Colosseum, the survival of two assassination attempts, and visitations from the Virgin Mary. Although the actual occurrences in 1535 will never be wholly known, one could safely assume there may be slight truth in several of the interpretations – Cellini’s illness, perhaps a correlation between one of his botched assassinations, induced a state of catalepsy which tricked medical personnel into believing him dead and, like most accounts in the autobiography, Cellini’s recollections were flavored with artistic embellishments to enhance the storytelling process.

Works Referenced

Bondeson, Jan. Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001.

Cellini, Benvenuto. Life. 1728. Trans. George Bull. New York: Penguin, 1998.

Eng, Erling. “Cellini’s Two Childhood Memories.” The American Imago 13.2 (1956): 189-203.

Erickson, Milton, Seymour Hershman, and Irving Sector. The Practical Application of Medical and Dental Hypnosis. London: Routledge, 2010.
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[1] Cellini, 150-151.
[2] Bondeson, 19.
[3] Erickson, Hershman, and Sector, 347.
[4] Eng, 192.

Black-and-White Potion Bottles with Candles

$3 - $5 (based on 2018 prices)

Makes two bottles

For the witch den, which was part of my office’s annual decorating competition, I unified the theme by incorporating alchemy symbols into many of the props. These potion bottles were part of this endeavor and I created two versions to accent the altar: a version with fake candles and a version with twine wrapped around the bottles’ necks.

• Two glass bottles in varying sizes
• One pack of forty- to sixty-grit sandpaper
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in cream*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• One 0.44 oz. bottle of clear nail polish*
  

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the bottles. If there is any sticker residue, use rubbing alcohol to remove it (soak a paper towel in the solution, let it sit over the area for a few minutes, and wipe away the remaining glue). After cleaning the bottles, roughen their surfaces with coarse sandpaper to help the paint adhere.

2. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the bottles an even coat of black spray paint. I used one coat, but you can apply more based on your desired coverage.

3. Draw alchemy symbols onto the bottles with white paint. You can add the markings randomly or put them in strategic places. While I elected to use alchemy symbols to unify the haunt’s theme, you could modify the prop by writing spells across the surfaces or using patterns of your own design.

4. Using hot glue, fashion fake candles on the tops of the bottles. To create this, build up layers and pipe drips of glue down the sides and onto the bottles. The process works best if you move in stages, applying one layer at a time and allowing the glue to cool between each application. Also, I found that pumping the glue along the top of the candle and allowing it to naturally run downward creates the best results. If you want the candle to have a wick, insert a toothpick into the glue while it is still hot and build up layers around it.

5. Apply three coats of cream paint to the candles and a light brushing of white to add depth. I used three coats, but you, of course, are free to use fewer (or more) based on your chosen appearance for the prop.

6. To make the candles look waxy, cover the paint with a layer of clear nail polish. If you want the candles to seem old and unused rather than freshly melted, do not add the nail polish, but give the candles a light brushing of brown paint to simulate dirt and dust.

7. If you have chosen to incorporate the wicks, cut the toothpicks at an angle and give them a few even coats of black paint.

8. If you plan to display these props outdoors in windy conditions, give them additional weight by pouring sand or rocks into the base before creating the fake candles.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

Framed Doll Bodies

$15 - $20 (based on 2018 prices)

 Makes two frames

In addition to the witch den for my office’s annual decorating contest, we also selected a ghost motif, complete with hanging phantoms and haunted portraits. Although these props were fabricated from leftovers (spare frames from the framed doll faces and miscellaneous limbs from the pumpkin dolls), they added an intriguing level of oddity to the display.

• Two ornate picture frames (roughly 13” x 9”)
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in cream*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• Three twelve-inch vinyl dolls
• One yard of white fabric
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the fabric
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One to two yards of brown twine
• Four aged bones (learn how to make them here)
  

1. Remove the backings and any glass from the frames and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, apply an even coat of black spray paint. Although I only used one coat, you may want more depending on your desired coverage. Keep in mind, though, that this is the base coat and much of the black paint will be covered up by lighter colors.

2. Brush the frames with a layer of white paint and, once that has dried, a layer of gray. Concentrate your application on the raised surfaces and leave the deep lines black to give the illusion of grime. If you want to enhance the distressed finish even further, smudge brown paint in random places to mimic dirt.

3. Remove the dolls’ clothing and dismember them. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give their heads and limbs an even coat of black spray paint (you will only use the limbs for this project; the heads will be utilized for a different prop). Once the paint has dried, use a thick brush to smear a smattering of wood glue onto the limbs. Try not to over think your application (a random pattern produces the best results). Let the glue sit for a minute to become tacky and then cover the limbs with cream-colored paint. As the glue and paint dry, they will form cracks. Once this is done, brush a light coat of brown paint onto the prop to simulate dirt. During this process, try to focus on areas where dust and grime would normally accumulate: in the creases of elbows and knees and the space between fingers and toes.

4. Boil enough water to completely submerge the fabric and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the fabric in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for four days and scattered the coffee grounds over the top to add spots. Remove the cloth from the water and allow it to dry.

5. Cut the fabric into squares large enough to thoroughly cover the backings (I cut mine into 12” x 12” sections). Center the cloth on the backings and glue it in place, trimming the excess and cleaning the edges.

6. Wrap twine around a doll’s torso and glue it to the center of the backing, fanning the twine outward to give the illusion the item is lashed to the prop. Do the same for a doll’s face. For a sturdier hold, consider using superglue. To enhance the creepiness, glue limbs to the torso in bizarre spots to fabricate freakish hybrids.

7. Adorn the frames with the remaining limbs and clusters of aged bones. You can arrange them in random positions or create elaborate patterns. Here, too, you can use superglue to securely adhere the pieces to the frames.

8. Attach the backings to the frames and, if you would like, finish the props with additional elements, such as spiders crawling along the surfaces or a few blood splatters.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

"The Sea of Death" (A Poem)

Originally published in the March 1822 issue of London Magazine, Thomas Hood's poem "The Sea of Death" has been widely anthologized over the course of two centuries and, as scholars like Walter Jerrold attest, is a prime example of Romanticist sentiments: the narrator watches death akin to a fisherman observing life beneath the waves surrounding his anchored boat.[1] In fact, as Mikhail Iampolski argues, Hood's text, along with other works such as Thomas De Quincey's Confessions of an Opium-Eater, uses water as a symbol of the veil between this world and the next, with humanity peering through the aqueous mass into the land of the dead.[2]

Methought I saw 
Life swiftly treading over endless space; 
And, at her foot-print, but a bygone pace, 
The ocean-past, which, with increasing wave, 
Swallowed her steps like a pursuing grave.

Sad were my thoughts that anchored silently 
On the dead waters of that passionless sea, 
Unstirred by any touch of living breath: 
Silence hung over it, and drowsy Death, 
Like a gorged sea-bird, slept with folded wings 
On crowded carcasses – sad passive things 
That wore the thin grey surface like a veil 
Over the calmness of their features pale.

And there were spring-faced cherubs that did sleep 
Like water-lilies on that motionless deep, 
How beautiful! with bright unruffled hair 
On sleek unfretted brows, and eyes that were 
Buried in marble tombs, a pale eclipse! 
And smile-bedimpled cheeks, and pleasant lips, 
Meekly apart, as if the soul intense 
Spake out in dreams of its own innocence: 
And so they lay in loveliness, and kept 
The birth-night of their peace, that Life even wept 
With very envy of their happy fronts; 
For there were neighbor brows scarred by the brunts 
Of strife and sorrowing – where Care had set 
His crooked autograph, and marred the jet 
Of glossy locks, with hollow eyes forlorn, 
And lips that curled in bitterness and scorn – 
Wretched, – as they had breathed of this world’s pain, 
And so bequeathed it to the world again, 
Through the beholder’s heart, in heavy sighs. 
So lay they garmented in torpid light, 
Under the pall of a transparent night, 
Like solemn apparitions lulled sublime 
To everlasting rest, – and with them Time 
Slept, as he sleeps upon the silent face
Of a dark dial in a sunless place.[3]

Works Referenced

Hood, Thomas. "The Sea of Death." The Complete Poetical Works of Thomas Hood. Vol. 1. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1878. 176-177.

Iampolski, Mikhail. The Memory of Tiresias: Intertextuality and Film. Trans. Harsha Ram. Berekley, CA: University of California Press, 1998.

Jerrold, Walter. Thomas Hood: His Life and Times. New York: John Lane Company, 1909.
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[1] Jerrold, 199.
[2] Iampolski, 262.
[3] Hood, 176-177.

Feathered Tribal Mask

$25 - $30 (based on 2018 prices)

Makes one mask

In the summer of 2018, I was asked to make a small collection of props for a theatrical troupe performing a traveling variety show in my town. One of the skits required a cannibal mask for a humors cooking-show segment. I ended up making two versions: one with feathers, which was used for the performances, and one with horns, which was not.

• One large latex balloon
• One roll of painters masking tape
• One 4 oz. bottle of wood glue
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue
• One standard-size newspaper
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in fire orange
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in au natural*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in hot cocoa*
• Seven eleven-inch feather floral sprays
• Two dozen gnarled sticks
• One 12” x 12” sheet of black craft foam
• One yard of brown twine

1. Inflate the balloon to your desired size for the mask and use tape to give it a skull-like appearance. You will want to gently wrap the tape around the surface and refrain from pulling strips off and reattaching them, since this will increase your chances of popping the balloon. Once you have attained your chosen look, stand the balloon on a sturdy base.

2. Make the papier mache paste by mixing ½ cup of glue and ½ cup of water in a bowl. Try to use a sealable container. This gives you the ability to store the mixture for a day or two between applications. Also, to give the paste added support, use a combination of all-purpose glue and wood glue (stay away from school glue because it is washable and will dissolve in the water).

3. Cut the newspaper into strips, soak them in the paste, and apply them to the balloon. To make the process more manageable, keep the strips at a reasonable size (mine were roughly six inches long and two inches wide). Similarly, only apply a few layers at a time and allow each layer to completely dry before adding more (I did two layers during each application and let them dry for twenty-four hours). Keep in mind that this prop will be carved and worn. So, you want it as sturdy as possible. A minimum of six to seven layers will suffice, but more is always better.

4. Once you have reached your desired thickness, cut the balloon and remove it from the papier mache shell. Be gentle during this process and gradually work the balloon out. 

5. Use a sharp knife to cut the shell in half lengthwise. If it helps, measure and mark your cut first. This will provide you with two separate masks. I used one for this project and the other for the horned tribal mask which was featured in an earlier post.

6. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the entire prop two even coats of fire orange spray paint. Although I used two coats, you are free to apply as many coats as you feel necessary.

7. Water down brown acrylic paint and brush it over the mask’s surface, ensuring the liquid settles into all the wrinkles (you can also use a spray bottle for the application). Allow the mixture to sit for a minute and then wipe it clean. You may want to experiment with the consistency prior to doing this: the more water you add, the fainter/lighter the wash; the less water you add, the deeper/darker the wash.

8. Add further detail by stippling au natural and hot cocoa paint around the edges and randomly along the surface. You can use a brush with splayed bristles, a stippling sponge, or crumpled paper towels for this application. Also, apply a slight flecking of black and brown paint. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside.

9. Use a wire cutter to trim the stems in the feather sprays to four inches. This will give you excess to work with during the following steps.

10. Layer the sprays by staggering their placement along the crown of the mask. To give depth, alternate them, with some further forward than others. Likewise, to add height, create a tapered appearance by arranging the sprays in varying tiers.

11. Glue the sprays in place, trim the excess wire, and cap the ends with ample amounts of glue. For extra padding, adhere a band of foam of soft cloth to protect the wearer.

12. Use a marker to trace the face onto the mask and, with a sharp knife, cut it out. I found that a serrated blade works best. Don’t worry too much if your cuts leave part of the markings visible. The paint in the following step will cover this up.

13. Detail the edges of the eyes and mouth by stippling au natural and hot cocoa paint around the edges and randomly along the surface. You can use a brush with splayed bristles, a stippling sponge, or crumpled paper towels for this application.

14. Fashion a mouthful of crooked teeth by gluing gnarled sticks along the edges. For a creepier appearance, select items with twisted forms and sharp points.

15. Cut a sheet of craft foam into pieces large enough to cover the openings of the eyes and mouth and glue them in place. This will help to not only darken the cavities but protect the wearer from the sticks. For visibility, cut holes into the foam. You can also use a mesh fabric or leave the eye openings uncovered.

16. Use black paint to create a dripping effect below the eyes. You want the final version to look like blackened evil is pouring from the mask’s eyes. Try to simulate running mascara, exaggerating the streams and bringing them down toward the jaw line. 

17. Cut twine into two fifteen-inch sections and make drawstrings for the mask. To enhance the tribal theme, consider weaving beads or feathers onto their ends.

18. You could embellish the mask further with strands of colorful wooden beads, strings of rotten teeth, collections of sea shells, or bunches of severed ears and fingers.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.