Renaissance Secrets

Book excerpt: The term 'Secret' was used throughout the Renaissance to describe a recipe or formula. Thousands of 'books of secrets' - compilations of recipes claiming to reveal trade secrets and occult knowledge - were printed. From recipes for plague amulets to aphrodisiacs, and formulas for everything from lip balm to paint pigments, this book takes you into the clandestine world of Renaissance trades and explains why certain recipes were jealously guarded while others were printed for a new general readership. New research offers intriguing insights into the use of obscure, exotic and toxic ingredients and explains now unfamiliar or arcane techniques. Each recipe is linked to real objects from the V and A's outstanding collections. Renaissance Secrets tells the compelling stories behind the original recipes.