Interesting facts about gilding
- Gilding is an ancient art of applying a thin coating of gold to surfaces.
- Electroplating, the application of gold leaf, and the application of the metal in a paint medium are most commonly employed in gilding.
- This method of ornamentation has had a long history, from ancient Egypt
to the present day. Examples of the art of gilding have been found in
many Egyptian ruins.
- The Greek historian, Herodotus, mentions that the Egyptians gilded wood and metals.
- Metals are gilded by various methods, such as rubbing on dry, dipping in baths, applying in the form of an amalgam, paint, etc.
- First introduced into Rome after the sacking of
Carthage, according to Pliny, gilding became a popular method of
ornamentation.
- Among the buildings in which gilt has been used to secure massive effect, St. Peter's at Rome is an example.
- Though the earliest methods of gilding are not in general use today, at
the present time there are several ways of applying gold to various
surfaces.
- In Europe, silver-gilt has always been more common than gilt-bronze.
- Gilt edges preserve books against dust. They are made by first trimming
the paper edges smooth and coating them with fish glue, the best made.
The gold leaf is then applied with care to produce a smooth surface.
- Electric gilding is a process discovered by the Marino brothers in 1912, can be used for the application of metal alloys or metals on wood, celluloid, ceramics, and other metals.
- The medieval Chinese developed the gilding of porcelain.
