194 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
even though apphed only in the form of a dehcate narrow 
band, or picked out with finest traceries. 
BURNISHING. 
Burnishing the gold after firing may be done by 
means of a glass brush made of a compact mass of glass 
fibres bound together, in most cases using a circular mo- 
tion. In using this method care must be exercised in 
order to avoid getting the tiny particles of glass in the 
fingers, or worse still, inhaling them. An equally satiny 
finish may be produced wdth less effort by the use of burn- 
ishing sand. Pour some of this sand into any sort of 
a receptacle, wet with water a soft bit of old linen, 
touch to the mass of sand and with what adheres to the 
cloth rub the gilded surface until it glows with the desired 
brilliancy, frequently moistening the cloth as the best 
results are produced by the use of a small amount of sand 
and an abundance of water. When the piece of china 
has dried, the sand found clinging to the surface may be 
brushed gently off into the original pile, to be used again. 
By either of these methods a soft, lustrous finish may be 
obtained, more or less brilliant according to the amount 
of polish given. If the most intense brilliancy possible 
is desirable, an agate burnisher may be used, care being 
taken to touch each part as otherwise a scratchy appear- 
ance will result. The use of the burnisher will harden 
gold and cause it to wear better, in the same way as plat- 
ed silver is hand polished to insure wearing qualities. 
Consequently it may sometimes be advantageous, where 
a table piece is to receive continuous usage, to polish the 
gold with an agate burnisher after the first fire, and with 
the sand after the last fire if the finish produced by the 
use of sand. is the one desired. Burnishing may be done 
more quickly and perhaps better if polish is applied while 
the piece is slightly warm from the kiln, and, to produce 
the best results, it is essential that nothing touch the gold 
after the firing until the burnishing is done. Finger marks 
made before burnishing frequently detract from the beau- 
ty of an otherwise perfect piece of work. 
Sometimes a broad band or surface of gold may be 
greatly enriched by the use of a combination of polishes. 
For example, after the piece has been fired, burnish it 
and fire again without putting on an additional coat of 
gold. This dulls the gold without destroying its ident- 
ity. Then by means of the sharp pointed agate burnish- 
er trace on scrolls or some geometric design suited to the 
style of the rest of the decoration. The result will be 
clear, glistening lines on the more subdued gold ground 
work, and make a pleasing variation from the usual treat- 
ment of gold. 
For the gold on paste lines or around jewels, use the 
pointed agate burnisher. 
It is advisable to fire all color before putting gold 
over it, and then the unfluxed should be used, although 
if the color is thinly applied and hard dried, the Roman 
may be applied before firing with fairly satisfactory re- 
sults. Heavy colors require a hard fire, but even if ap- 
plied after firing the gold may peel off if the color is too 
thick. On an ordinary tinted ground the unfluxed gold 
may be used without cleaning out the ground, but if the 
surface has been dusted it will probably be too heavy to 
take gold well and the pointed stick may be used to remove 
the color, after which the Roman gold may be used. 
Sometimes liquid bright gold will look well, as when used 
over color it does not present so tawdry an appearance 
as when applied to white china. The Roman gold on 
bare china is to be preferred. Color is occasionally used 
over gold that has been fired, and if used thin will present 
a bronzed appearance but if just right the gold will not 
show through. If too thick, however, the color will flake 
off in scales, which defect cannot be remedied. Roman 
gold may safely be used over lustres and lustres over 
gold, provided the latter is burnished before the lustres 
are applied. A broad space of some desirable color of 
lustre, overlaid with a heavy all over design in gold, will, 
if judgment is shown in the selection of the design, prove 
very pleasing. Occasionally designs in black or other 
dark colors are outlined on gold grounds. If the metals 
are unadulterated, gold designs ma}^ be placed on silver 
or silver on gold, after the first to be applied is burnished. 
Gold ma}^ also be used on paste before firing if the latter 
is thoroughly dry through and through. To be simply surface 
dried is not sufficient. It is always best to fire the paste 
and apply two coats of gold before firing again. Gold, 
if underfired, will appear much darker than is desirable. 
Occasionally it looks dark if well fired, in which case it 
is safe to assume that the brushes or palette were not 
thoroughly clean, that oily, poor gold had been used, or 
that the paste was poor. Possibly the steel knife becom- 
ing discolored from dampness may have caused this. 
The make of china should cause no trouble with the gild- 
ing, a medium fire being ah that is necessary. If enamels 
are put on gold grounds it is customary to leave a tiny 
spot of white china for the enamel to cling to, that the 
bubbled effect which is apt to come when enamels are 
placed over gold may be avoided. 
REMOVING FIRED GOLD. 
This may be done with either Hydrofluoric acid or 
Aqua Regia. The latter is preferable as the design on 
the china does not have to be covered with wax in order 
to protect it, for Aqua Regia will not remove the glaze. 
The fumes should not be inhaled. No amount of gold 
will atone for or cover up poor work, but proper manip- 
ulation of the right materials, and practice combined 
with patience, will enable one soon to do satisfactory 
gold work. 
coo 
Third Prize — Miss Sidney Scott Lewis, Georg'etown, Ky. 
If the gold has been on hand sometime, and is very 
hard and separates into little balls, it needs just a drop 
or so of fat oil, a little heat and lavender oil, and your 
gold is as good as new. The gold will blister wher- 
ever it touches heavy color, especially unfired color, over 
a light tint the unfluxed gold can be used but the tint 
should first be fired. To put on a smooth, gold ground 
on white china, use Roman gold, perfectly clean and al- 
most "runny". Use a large, medium, or small (accord- 
ing to size of surface to be covered) flat square shader. 
Work the brush into the gold until it has gotten pretty 
well charged, keeping the touch as flat and broad as pos- 
sible. Put on the gold in flat, broad, even^'strokes, blend- 
ing the strokes into each other as you work. Do not try 
to put on the gold too thick for the first fire, but as evenly 
as you can. Then for the second fire put on a crate 
of unfluxed gold and the result wilJ be a bright even back 
ground. If you want surface, burnish for the first fire but not 
the second, if the gold is not thick enough after first fire re- 
touch with thin ^vash but do not Vjurnish. Gold can be padded 
on just like color and makes a soft pretty back ground, or it 
can be stippled with the Fitch stipplers of different sizes as 
