The Decorative Use of Beaten Gold and Other Metals 
room where there is any draft. Doors and windows 
must be closed, and no one should be admitted when 
a leaf is being applied. 
The loose parts of the leaves which extend beyond 
the edges should not be removed until the size has 
had time to dry and the gilding is properly set. 1 hen 
the loose pieces can be lightly dusted off- with the 
soft brush. 
It will be seen that the whole process is a simple, 
one and quite free from complications. I he two 
governing requirements are the proper preparation 
of the foundation for the metal leaf, and the care 
used in the application of the sizing and leaf. 1 he 
amateur in a very short while will become expert 
enough to gild picture frames, moldings, plaster casts 
and even pieces of furniture, with very satisfactory 
and pleasing results. In regilding chairs and furni¬ 
ture the old gold-leaf or paint must first be scraped off 
thoroughly. Even a new surface should be care¬ 
fully scraped, sand-papered and washed with warm 
water. If there is any grease on it a little borax should 
be used in the water. After cleaning the surface, 
it must be allowed to dry before the size is applied. 
Silver-leaf is handled almost the same as gold, but 
as this is about three times as thick it is not such a 
delicate operation. Silver cannot be beaten as fine 
as gold, but nevertheless the leaves are thin enough 
to be blown away with the breath. The cost of 
silver-leaf is also much less than gold and the initial 
expense and waste of material are therefore an item 
to consider. 
Silver-leaf does not possess the chief advantage of 
gold of not tarnishing. The sulphur gases in a room 
will tarnish the best of silver-leaf. As a result of this 
aluminium-leaf has been substituted for silver in 
most cases, for it will not tarnish or lose its color. 
The silvery effect of the aluminium-leaf at the outset, 
however, is not so brilliant, and where temporary 
effects are desired the genuine metal will prove more 
satisfactory. 
A good deal of our furniture, picture frames and 
other gilded articles, which pass as gold-leaf, have 
no gold whatever on them. They are not painted 
with the ordinary gold-paints, but are treated with 
some of the numerous substitutes for gold. Thus 
Dutch metal is employed quite extensively in orna¬ 
menting cheap articles, and when new its effect is 
nearly as perfect as gold-leaf, but it quickly tarnishes 
and loses its luster. When varnished or covered 
with a transparent lacquer it will hold its color, but 
as soon as any part of the covering is worn off the 
Dutch metal fades. The metal is composed of an 
alloy of copper and zinc, and contains no precious 
metals in its composition. 
Copper-leaf is also an effective substitute for 
gold-leaf, but like the Dutch metal it must be pro¬ 
tected from the air by a lacquer or varnish. The 
copper has a very bright golden appearance, but if 
exposed to the air it will quickly turn a deep red or 
brown. Thus it is not unusual to see parts of gold 
chairs with their sides a brown or red where the 
hands have worn off the lacquer. It is impossible 
to make a lacquer or varnish which will long resist 
the effect of warm moist hands placed on them. 
Cleaning them with a moist cloth and even dusting 
them tend to expose the copper-leaf to the tarnishing 
effects of the air. 
I here is another substitute commonly used in this 
work. Aluminium gold has more permanent effects 
than any of the others, and it comes the nearest to 
pure gold-leaf. It is really an alloy of copper and 
aluminium, and it will resist the effects of the atmos¬ 
phere for some time. But to make the work satis¬ 
factory it is necessary to protect it with a varnish or 
lacquer. Other alloys of tin and copper and zinc 
and copper have the same disadvantages, and they 
should not be employed for any first-class or per¬ 
manent work. 
When pure gold-leaf has been applied it can be 
burnished to produce a more brilliant effect. But as 
a rule the ordinary gold effect is more beautiful for 
household ornamentation than the burnished. If 
for any reason the gilded surface is exposed to the air 
or gases it may be wise to protect it with a trans¬ 
parent varnish. 
Where specially fine work is desired a second layer 
of gold-leaf should be applied. This is done exactly 
as the first. An interval of several days should be 
allowed between the application of the first and 
second layer. The second layer will cover up any 
defects in the first and make the thickness of leaf so 
much greater that it will last twice as long. 
When gold-leaf is properly applied it will last 
indefinitely on furniture, picture frames and interior 
ornaments, but a little care to protect it from unnec¬ 
essary injuries should be exercised. Placed close to 
a steam radiator or hot-air register, the best gold-leaf 
must soon loosen and part with its brightness. Re¬ 
peated wettings will likewise injure it permanently 
unless it is dried off each time. A wet or greasy 
rag left on the burnished surface for any length of 
time may cause a dull blotch to appear which no 
amount of polishing and burnishing can entirely re¬ 
move. Such accidents are not likely to happen 
except in homes where careless servants are per¬ 
mitted to care for the furniture and decorations 
without proper supervision. 
In gilding on glass which is to be seen only on 
one side, a coat or two of varnish is nearly always 
applied, followed by a coat of black japan. The 
sizing used on glass is different from that recom¬ 
mended above. The best is made by boiling in water 
the finest Russian isinglass until a thin, weak solution 
is obtained. This is applied to the back of the glass, 
and its transparent nature prevents any defects 
showing through. 
79 
