Renaissance Brass Chalk Holder

This is a historical reconstruction of a Renaissance brass chalk holder, known in Italian as a matitatoio or toccalapis. Giovanni Battista Armenini described the tool in 1587 as “a little brass tube” used to hold a sharpened piece of natural chalk and protect it from breaking.

Its design draws on 16th-century sources, including Vasari’s Saint Luke Painting the Madonna fresco in Florence’s Santissima Annunziata, where a chalk holder appears on the easel next to the painter. The rings that tighten each end of the holder bear the punched impression of the Florentine lily, the city’s heraldic emblem.

The holder is cut and finished by hand in Florence, and holds a piece of natural chalk, charcoal or commercial drawing chalks, including Conté crayons, cut to size and sharpened to a point like a pencil. Chalk holders like this allowed Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and others to achieve the fine hatching and modeling seen in their drawings. Drawing with this instrument opens a direct, intimate connection to the techniques of the great masters.

Specifications

Material: Brass
Made in Italy

The Research Behind This Reconstruction

This is to certify that the Renaissance Brass Chalk Holder is an original work and an authentic historical reconstruction of a Renaissance drawing tool. Its materials and design are based on documented iconographic and textual sources of the period. Cast in part through the lost-wax method, each holder is individually cut, assembled, polished, and finished by hand in our studio, a human touch that makes every tool unique.

Ars Pictoria’s mission is to keep Renaissance artistry alive through living practice, passing it on the way it has always been transmitted, from hand to hand, so that everyone who draws with one of our tools becomes part of that transmission. This reconstruction has been tested in Gleb Shtyrmer’s own studio and through teaching numerous students in workshops and courses. Ars Pictoria’s reconstructions are endorsed by art historians, artists, and curators, on permanent display in museums, including the Leonardo3 Museum and the San Marco Museum in Florence, and featured in Ken Burns’s Leonardo da Vinci documentary.

The Makers

Our family studio in the Florence area is where the production takes place. Sayaka Shtyrmer is the artisan who refines the wax models, preparing them for lost-wax casting, then cuts, solders, and finishes the brass by hand. Gleb Shtyrmer conceives the designs, researches their historical sources, and curates the production from first sketch to final piece.

A Brief History of Chalk Drawing

Natural red, black, and white chalk was prized by Renaissance artists for the fine hatching, modeling, and delicate tonal effects it allowed, but the stone itself is fragile, prone to flaking and breaking as it’s cut and sharpened. Armenini describes preparing a piece of chalk, sharpening it, and fitting it “inside a little brass tube made for this purpose,” advising a very light hand, “for the point easily flakes and shatters.”

Towards the end of the 16th century, chalk holders of this kind became an indispensable tool in any artist’s studio, and they are very often depicted in self-portraits, like the exquisite miniature self-portrait by Lavinia Fontana at the Uffizi, dated 1579. Read more about the history and technique of chalk drawing →

Learn more about the history of natural drawing chalks and artificial crayons.

Handling and Care

Drawing tool for artistic use. Metal parts: handle with care, and keep out of reach of children under 14.

Natural patina. Unplated brass is used, so the surface will develop a natural patina over time. Full care instructions are included with the product.

Warranty

Every chalk holder comes with a 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects. See our Warranty & Returns page for full terms.

Frequently Asked Questions

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It’s a reconstruction of a type of tool documented across several 16th-century sources, rather than a copy of one specific surviving example or depiction. Its form is based on written descriptions, including Armenini’s, and on period artworks that show painters using tools of this kind.

Ars Pictoria’s reconstructions are on permanent display at the Leonardo3 Museum in Milan, including a brass chalk holder, and at the San Marco Museum in Florence, and have appeared in Ken Burns’s Leonardo da Vinci documentary.

This chalk holder is made of solid brass, with rings at each end that tighten to hold the chalk in place. The rings are cast through the lost-wax process and finished by hand.

A chalk holder secures a small, sharpened piece of natural chalk or crayon, protecting it from breaking as it’s used to draw. Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael relied on tools like this to achieve fine hatching and modeling in their chalk drawings.

It holds natural drawing chalk as well as modern materials like charcoal and Conté crayons, cut to fit the holder and sharpened to a fine point for drawing.

Yes, the unplated brass will develop a natural patina over time from air and skin oils, which can be restored with the included polishing cloth. The patina doesn’t affect the tool’s function.

Yes, every chalk holder includes a 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects. Full terms are on our Warranty & Returns page.

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