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Glossary

Agate

Polished stone with handle is used for burnishing leaf

Asphaltum

Mixture of Tar and Mineral Turpentine used to patinate

Aluminium Leaf (Faux Silver Leaf)

Thinly beaten sheets (160mmx160mm beaten aluminium leaf

Bole

Natural clay base used for water gilding

Acrylic Bole

Acrylic based paint used as a coloured base to simulate natural clay base

Burnish

Polishing of gold or silver leaf to sheer brilliance

Cutting in

To isolate a section of an item to apply a different colour or finish. Allows distinction between one section and another

Cotton Gloves

Used to protect leaf from acids and oils of the skin

Dutch Metal Leaf (Faux Gold Leaf)

Thin sheets of 160mmx160mm brass leaf – alloy of copper and zinc

Gesso

Made of whiting and glue – used to prepare surfaces such as canvas or to hide timer grain

Gold leaf

Beaten gold leaf 80mmx80mm – comes in 25 sheets per book . 23karat is used for interior – 24Karat is used for exterior gilding

Gold Size

Used to adhere metal leaf to surfaces – water based (interiors) and oil based (exteriors)

Methylated Spirit Denatured Alcohol

White Spirit Mineral Turpentine is a solvent commonly used for thinning oil-based paints and cleaning paint brushes and equipment after painting.

Whiting

Finely ground chalk or clay

Gilders Knife

Tool to cut gold leaf

Gilders Tip

Special brush to lift loose gold leaf and place it on object

Gilders Cushion

Board covered with leather used as base to cut gold leaf to size

Magic Polishing Ground (Powder)

Finely ground bole powder

Oil Gilding

A slow drying varnish based is used as a gold size

Patina- general

Is used to change the colour and appearance of metal leaf with washes glazes and acids

Patina washes

Thinned out acrylic paint over gilded item and then wiped off to achieve desired colour/finish

Patina – glazes

Thin layers of transparent colour to change appearance of gilded surfaces

Patina – Acid

Acids are used to create colour and pattern on Brass, Silver and Copper Leaf

Sealer

Oil and water based sealers are used to protect the Metal leaves

Shellac

Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand.

Shellac liquid

Shellac flakes are dissolved in Methylated spirit

Shellac – dewaxed (granular)

Granules are dissolved in Methylated spirit

Skewings

Small pieces of leaf – left-over from gilding can be used to repair small areas

Water Gilding Liqueur

Used to wet surface before the application of gold leaf (water gilding technique)

Water Gilding technique

Ancient and traditional method of gold leaf application to timber frames and furniture

Water Gilding on Glass

By using Gelatine or fish glue a mirror like finish can be achieved on glass

Zapon Lacquer

Brush on Acetone based lacquer to seal the highly burnished gold leaf