22 GILDING* 



after noticing the materials and tools necessary for 

 going to work. 



OfGold-Leqf. 



There are three kinds of gold-leaf in common 

 use. 



Pure gold-leaf, which is made by hammering 

 gold between the leaves of a book made of skins, 

 till they are sufficiently thin. 



Pale leaf-gold, which has a greenish colour, and 

 is made of gold alloyed with silver. 



Dutch gold, which is brought from Holland, and 

 is in fact only copper-leaf coloured by the fumes of 

 zinc. It is much cheaper than true leaf-gold, and 

 is very useful where large quantities of gilding are 

 wanted, which can be defended from the weather, 

 and where great nicety is not required ; but it 

 changes its colour entirely when exposed to mois- 

 ture ; and, indeed, in all cases, its beauty is soon 

 impaired, unless well secured by varnish. It is 

 therefore only a cheap substitute for true gold-leaf, 

 which may be useful where durability is not an 

 object. 



Of the Instruments necessary for Gilding. 



The first instrument is the cushion, for receiving 

 the leaves of gold from the books in which they 

 are bought. It is made by covering a board of 

 about eight inches square, with a double thickness 

 of flannel, and over that, a piece of buff leather, 

 and fastening it tight round the edges. 



The knife for cutting the leaves into the requisite 

 sizes should be made like a pallet knife, and should 

 not have its edge too sharp. 



