MOS
( $$ )
MOS
As none but the richeft Marbles and Stones enter rbii Work, to make 'cm go the further, they are fawn into the thinner! Leaves imaginable, fcarce exceeding half a Line in Thickneis; the Block, to be faw'd, is faften'd firmly with Cords, on the Bench, only rais'd a little on a piece of Wood, one or two Inches high. Two Iron Pins, which are on one tide the Block, and which ferve to fallen it, ferve alfo to direct the Saw, which with Pieces thus faw'd, are put into a Vice contrived for the purpofe ; and with a kind of Saw or Bow made of fine Brafs Wire, bent on a Piece of fpringy Wood, together with Emery fleep'd in Water, the Leaf is gradually fafhion'd, by following the Strokes of the Defign made on Paper, and glued on the Piece. See Marquetry.
When there are Pieces enough fallen 'd to form an entire Flower, or fome other Part of the Defign, they are ap- ply'd. 1'hc Ground that fupports this Mofaic, is ufually of Free Stone. The Matter wherewith the Scones are join'd together, is a Maftic, or kind of Stuc, laid very thin on the Leaves as they are fafhion'd; and the Leaves in this State, apply'd with Plyers. If any Contour, or Side of a Leaf, be not either rounded enough, or fquared e- nougb, to fit the Place where it is to be ufed, when 'tis too large, 'tis brought down with a Brafs File or Rafp, and when too fmall, is managed with a Drill, and other Lapi- dary- Initruments.
"Manner of making Mosaic Work of Gypfum.
The Gypfum is a kind of coarfe Talc, or a mining tranfparent Stone, found in the Quarries of Montmartre near Taris, among the Stones thence dug to make the Plainer of Tarts : 'tis different from the Plainer, but retains the Name the Remans gave the Plainer, mm, Gypfum, Of this Stone, calcined in a Kiln, and beaten in a Mortar, and pafs'd thro a Sieve, they make a kind of artificial Marbles, imitating precious Stones, and of rhefe compofe a kind of Ivfofaic Work, which comes little iliort either of the Dura- blenefs or Vivacity of the natural Stones ; and which has this advantage, that it admits of continu'd Pieces, or Paintings of entire Compartiments, without any Joining vifible.
Some make the Ground of Plaifler of Paris, others of Free-Stone: if the former, 'tis fpread in a wooden Frame, of the length and breadth of the intended Work, and about an Inch and half thick. This Frame is fo contriv'd, as, the Tenons being only join'd to the Mortoifes by flngle Pins, they may be taken afunder, and the Frame be difmounted when the Plaifler is dry. This Frame they cover on one fide with a flrong Linnen Cloth, nail'd all around, which be- ing plac'd horizontally, with the Linnen at bottom, is fill'd with Plaifler, pafs'd thro a wide Sieve. The Plaifler be- ing half dry, the Frame is fet perpendicular, and left till it be quite dry; then taken out, by dismounting the Frame. In this idofaic s the Ground is the mofl important Parr.
Now to prepare the lifted Gypfum to be apply'd on this Ground, they diffblve and boil it in the beft En^lijh Glue, and after mixing with it the Colour it is to bear, the whole is woik'd up together into the ordinary Confidence of Plai- fler j and then taken and fpread on the Ground, five or fix Inches thick. It muff be obferv'd, that if the Work be luch, as that Mouldings are requir'd, they are form'd with Gouges and other Inflruments.
'Tis on this Plaifler, thus colour'd like Marble or pre- cious Stone, and which is to ferve as a Ground to a Work either of Lapis, Agat, Alabafler, or the like, that the De- fign to be represented is drawn ; having been fir ft pounced or calqued. To hollow or imprefs the Defign, they ufe the fame Inflruments with the Sculptors; the Ground whereon they are to work, not being much lefs hard than Marble itfelf. The Cavities thus made in the Ground, are fill'd up with the fame Gypfum boil'd in Glue, only diffe- rently colour'd ; and thus are the feveral Colours of the Original reprefented. To have the neceffary Colours and Teints at hand, they temper Quantities of the Gypfum with the feveial Colours, in little Pots. When the Defign is thus fill'd, and rendcr'd vifible, by half polifhing it with Brick or foit Stone ; they go over it again, cutting fuch Places as are either to be weaker, or more /hadow'd, and filling 'em with Gypfum ; which is repeated till all the Colouts, added one after another, reprefentthe Original to the Life. The Work being finiiVd, is fcower'd with foft Stone, Sand and Water ; then with Pumice-ftone, and laflly, poliJb'd with a wooden Mullet and Emery. Laflly, the Lutire is given it, by fmeering it over with Qil, and rubbing it a long time with the Palm of the Hand ; which gives it a LuAre nothing inferior to that of natural Mar- ble.
If 'tis only requir'd to make a variegated Table, or o- rher Work of feveral Colours; without Mofaic Figures, the Frocefs is fomewhar different. To this end, they only pre- pare feparately, in large Bowls, as many different Colours as Nature fliews in the Marble to be imitated, and after incorporating 'em with the Gypfum and Glue-Water, they
take a Trucl-full of each, and difpofe 'em in a Trough, without any order; then without mingling 'em, and only by cutting or croffing the Gypfum of each Truel once or twice with each of the refl, they give 'em that beautiful Confufion, which makes the Value of natural Marbles: Ofthefe they then make their Tables,or lay 'em in a Mold, according to the Work to be done.
As to Marquetry or Inlaid-Work* the Antients were well ac- quainted with it, and ufed it for the adorning of their Beds, fables, and other Moveables; ufing for this purpofe Ivo- ry, and the richefl Woods. But Friar ^obn oSVerona feems to have contributed the mofl to its Perfection, by difco- vcring the Secret of dying Woods of all Colours and De- grees; by which means he was enabled to imitate Paint- ing, and even to reprefent Architecture inPerfpecFive.
They begin with fawing their Woods into Leaves, of the Thicknefs of one or two Tenths cfan Inch; then take Pieces of the Defign they are to follow, and fallen 'em to thnie Leaves, and wirh a little Steel faw the Contour of the Defign. All that is neceffary being taken off with the Saw, they give the Shadow to thofe Places that require it, by placing the Piece in a hot Sand, or otherwife, with the Direction neceffary to fhadow it more or lefs. This done, they lay each Piece in its place, on a Ground of another Wood, as dry Oak, and there fatten them with flrong Glue.
There are two other Branches of Mofaic Work ; the one call'd Vamaskeemng, or Damask-Work, confining in an Af- femblage of Gold or Silver Threads, of which are fome- times form'd flat Works, and fome times Baffo-Relievos. See Damaskeening.
The other is ca.\Vd Shell- Work, confifting of Shells, arti- ficial Congelations, Petrifications,^, ufed in Grottos. See
OHELt-Woii.
MOSQUE, among the Mahometans* is a Temple fet apart for the Exercifes of Religion. See Temple.
There are Royal Moffttes founded by the Emperors, as Solimama and Veltdea at Conft.intinoph ; and Private Mofqucs, founded by Mufties, Viziers, Bafl'a's, &c. they are built like large Kails, with lilcs, Galleries, and Domes ; and are adorned on the inflde with Compartiments, and Pieces of JrabeffKe Work. On one fide is always found a Pool with feveral Cocks.
The Turks have converted mofl of the Chriflian Churches into Mofyues. At the top is always placed a Cref- cent.
The Word comes from the Turkifj Mefchit; which pro- perly fignifies a Temple built of Wood, fuch as the Turks firfl ufed. Hence the Spaniards derive their Mtfcheta* and the Italians Mofcheta, and the French and Englifi Mofq/te. Borel derives the Word from the Greek parx.©- Calf becaufe of the frequent mention of a Cow in the Alcoran. Others and with the greatefl Appearance of Reafon, derive it from the Arabic M.ffchiad, a Place of Wor/hip.
MOSSE, Ufnea in Natural Hiftory, a little Plant of the Parafite kind, growing on the Barks, &c. of feveral Trees as Oak, Poplar, Aih, Cedar, ££c. See Parasite,
The mofletleemed, and odoriferous is that cfthe Cedar }. it is of fome medicinal Ufe, being Aflringent, and proper to flop Hemorrhagies and Dyffenteries.
The Antients took the Mofs of Trees to be the Effect of a Diforderor Difcompofure of the Texture of the Bark j or at mofl a kind of little Filaments arifing from the Bark. But the Moderns find by feveral Obfervations, that Moffes are all real, difiincT: Plants, whofe Seed, being extremely fmall, is inclofed in little Capfulce, which' burfling of themfelves, the Seed is carried off by the Winds, till falling on the Inequalities of the Bark of Trees, it is there flop'd, takes Root, and feeds at the expence of the Tree as Mouldincfs does on Bread, f$c. See Mouldiness.
The different kinds of Mnjjes are very numerous ; Monf. Vaillant reckons 137 feveral Species in the fingle Neigh- bourhood of Paris.
There Isalfo a kind of greenifii Mofs growing on human Sculls that have been longexpofed to the Air, call'd Ufnea, or Mufcits caharius. The Antients made a deal of Ufe of it as an Aflringent, &c. See Usnea.
Moffes make an Article of Commerce ; there being fe- veral kinds ufed in Medicine, in Perfuming, &c. Among others, the Sea-Mofs, call'd Coralline, (fee Coralline,} and the Mofs of Cedar and Firr, which enter the Compofi- tion of Cyprefs Powder.
The Mofs of common Trees, as Oak, A/h, Poplar, £5*c. is ufed for Caulking of Veffels. 'Tis alfo ufed by Bird- Merchants, to prepare Cages for certain kinds of Birds to hatch in.
The Gardeners, &c. reckon Mofs among the Difeafes, or Infirmities of Plants. See Disease.
Mr. Mortimer, &c- direcFs it to be rubb'd, and fcraped off* with fome proper Inflrument that will not hurt the Bark of the Tree, or with a piece of Hair-Cloth after a foaking Rain 5 tho' the furefl Cure is by removing the Caufe j which is effected by draining the Land well of " 7 K all
