the.com/plastering

smearing wet rock on walls so they pretend they were always smooth

means Applying a wet mixture of lime, gypsum, or cement to walls or ceilings so it dries into a smooth, hard surface — or, figuratively, covering something thickly or sticking it all over a surface.

from From Latin 'emplastrum,' a medicinal salve smeared onto the body, which came through Greek 'emplastron' (from 'em-' on + 'plassein' to mould or shape). The same root gives us 'plastic' — anything moldable. So before plaster was the stuff on your walls, it was the goo on your wounds: in both cases, a soft substance spread on a surface to set and protect.

ancient craft
Egyptians plastered pyramids over 4,000 years ago
material
Made from gypsum, lime, or sand and water
the skim
Final coat thinner than a credit card
hawk and trowel
Tools named like medieval weaponry
timing game
Set too fast and your wall is ruined
for instance

sistine chapel ceiling — michelangelo's fresco painted on wet plaster in vatican city, 1508-1512

pompeii wall frescoes — roman homes preserved under volcanic ash with intact plaster murals from 79 ad

ajanta caves — buddhist temple caves in maharashtra, india with 2,000-year-old plaster paintings

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