Knowledge center · Workshop techniques · Gilding
Technique
Gilding
Covering a wooden surface with a thin layer of gold leaf over a ground of gesso and bole, either in oil gilding (more durable) or water gilding (burnishable) — common on mirror frames and court furniture.
Traditional gilding starts with layers of gesso (chalk and glue) to level the surface, then bole — a colored clay, usually red or yellow — that gives the thin gold a warm undertone and allows it to be burnished. There are two main methods. Water gilding lays the leaf onto damp bole and can be burnished with an agate stone to a mirror shine, but it is less resistant to water. Oil gilding lays the leaf onto an oil size; it stands up better to outdoor or daily use, but it cannot be burnished to the same gloss. Worn gilding has to be identified before a spot repair, so the new gold does not sit at a different color from the old.
Related
Patina
The layer of wear and sheen that wood gathers over the years. To collectors it is an asset, not a flaw: original patina raises value, and removing it can damage that value badly.
Reversible restoration
The founding principle of professional restoration: every repair should be one that can be taken apart in the future without harming the original.
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