GILDING /
SURFACE DESIGN
The applications of gold and other leaf metals are versatile: Picture frames with water gilding or wall surfaces decorated with brass leaf are just two examples that fall within a gilder's potential scope of work.
Water gilding is a technique for creating glossy and matte gilded surfaces that has remained almost unchanged for several millennia and was already used in ancient Egypt.
This gilding technique is only suitable for indoor use and is applied to decorative frames or sacred sculptures, for example.
For durable outdoor gilding, such as on church crosses and domes, weather vanes, or fence finials, the technique of oil gilding is commonly used.
Oil gilding is one of several methods in which leaf metal is adhered to a surface using an adhesive. Traditionally, a specially prepared drying oil, known as 'mixtion' or 'oil size,' is used for oil gilding. After applying the oil size and allowing it to dry for a specified period, the leaf metal can be applied.
Oil gilding is suitable for both exterior and interior surfaces on non-absorbent surfaces. Unlike water gilding, oil gilding can use not only gold and silver but also various metal leaves (brass, copper, aluminium). This provides a wide range of design possibilities.
Mordant gilding, like oil gilding, is an application technique where an adhesive is used to affix the leaf metal to the surface. The so-called mordant (or "mordent") is a binder made of gum, wax, or egg, depending on the surface.
The application area of mordant gilding is limited to the partial gilding of stucco or painted ornamentation. Here, the adhesive and the gold are applied only to the raised areas of the ornamentation (so-called "highlights") to enhance the three-dimensional effect of the decorated surface.