The craft of gold leaf gilding in which leaves of gold are applied to objects for ornamentation, goes back over 4,000 years ago to Northern Africa where gold foil was applied to wood to give the appearance of being made of solid gold.

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Egyptians in Alexandria, Egypt, were the first goldbeaters and gilders, pounding gold with a round stone, copper, or wooden hammers.

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Greek sculptors used gold leaf in creating the “chryselephantine” statues of gods such as Athena at the Parthenon, or Zeus at the Temple of Olympia. The bare parts of the figure, such as arms, face, and legs were of ivory (elephantinos) and the armor, robes, hair and weapons were of gold (chrysos).

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Eastern civilizations such as the Japanese have been using gold leaf for centuries as a decorative food and beverage garnish, and even in various medicines and remedies.

Around 400 A.D., gold leaf began to be applied to the letters, borders, and figures in illuminated manuscripts in Constantinople, Ireland, and Italy. Gold leaf appeared on paintings as the sky (the color of heaven) and as the haloes surrounding the heads of holy figures. In Greek paintings, haloes were also sometimes shown on commanders and heroes. Austrian painter Gustav Klimt (1862 – 1918) is known for his use of gold leaf, famously exemplified in paintings such as “The Kiss.”

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The practice of gilding in the Middle East, whereby gold would be applied over other metals, has been traced to at least 3,000BC and continues to this day. Tomb paintings in Egypt as early as the VI Dynasty (around 2250BC) depict goldbeaters beating gold into foil, used in the decoration of furniture and coffins. Historical references indicate fire gilding of gold on copper in China by the fourth century BC. Still, other applications include gilded statuary in fourth century BC Athens, gilded vessels of Tibet in the seventh century AD, and various gilding techniques and applications throughout South America, Peru, Spain, the Far East, Britain, and Europe. 

 

Gilded architectural embellishment adorned not only the palaces and temples during the time of Cleopatra but is also evident today throughout Europe and in contemporary buildings and residences in the United States. Some of the finest gilding, however, took place in early 18th century France when Louis XIV desired to show his power through the gilt works of his time, establishing France’s leadership in the decorative arts.

 

The Process of Gilding Wood: An Overview

Oil Gilding and Traditional Water Gilding

The methods of gilding used today are rooted in ancient Egypt and later refined during the Renaissance. There are two methods of gilding wood: traditional water gilding and oil gilding; the terms refer to the manner in which the leaf is applied.

 
Oil gilding, the simpler of the two, incorporates the use of an oil-based size, or varnish, over a prepared ground. Once the size dries and comes to a slight tack, the leaf is laid onto the surface and very gently compressed. Once the size has dried completely, any loose particles of leaf, or skewings, are wiped off and the gilded object may then be given a clear coat of shellac for protection against light handling while gently subduing the brilliancy of the gold. Toning with various patinating materials may also be used at this stage to simulate age or to provide contrast. As with traditional water gilding, both genuine gold and silver leaf may be used in oil gilding as well as brass, aluminum, palladium, and platinum leaf. An oil gilded surface is singular in its tonal quality and offers a matt to moderately bright appearance. It is a durable finish but unlike water gilding, it cannot be burnished.
 

Traditional water gilding, the most highly regarded form of gold leaf gilding for frames and furniture, is a time-consuming process but captivating to watch as the thin leaves of gold, measuring a thickness of only 1/250,000th of an inch, flutter through the air at the end of the gilder’s sable hair tip and laid over a meticulously prepared surface. When considering the gilding of a frame, the frame body is first milled, cut to size, joined, sanded, and then coated with a protein binder, most often rabbit skin glue. A white, plaster-like material called gesso is prepared using whiting (calcium carbonate), glue size, and water and applied over the entire surface of the frame. The purpose of the gesso is to fill the grain of the wood and to provide a smooth surface to gild and later burnish. Numerous coats of gesso are applied, at least five or six although sometimes as many as twenty, depending upon the particular gesso recipe, the architecture of the design, and the overall effect the gilder wishes to achieve. Once the gesso has dried it is then sanded, or re-cut, to remove all irregularities.
 

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