Gilding is the affixing of gold leaf to a prepared surface and rubbing it into place. Gold leaf does not tarnish – lasts for years and gives a true gold look to any wood, metal or plaster base. The luxurious and decadent lives of yesteryear found the need to have almost all gilt furniture, something very evident in the 17th and 18th centuries all over the world. Today, these fine pieces still have the same allure, but for totally different reasons: being antiques.
Old gold leaf antiques can be cleaned with water containing a few drops of ammonia. New gold leaf can be purchased in plain sheets or in transfers that have a fabric backing. Transfer sheets are much easier to use than regular sheets. When applying gold leaf to a restored area, make sure the surface is clean and dry. Paint the base with Japan gold size and let it get ‘sticky’. Lay the sheets in place, slightly overlapping them at the edges; rub them carefully, following the direction of the overlap, with a clean cotton cloth until the edges blend evenly. The skill is to place the sheets on the surface when the size has reached the correct degree of ‘stickiness’. If the size is too wet, the sheet will wrinkle; if it is too dry, the sheet will not stick.
Today the value of antiques will depend on whether pure gold leaf or wax gilding was used, as was common practice to reduce the cost of making a fine piece of furniture. The other popular alternative, gold paint, while easy to apply, produces a rather garish finish and lacks depth. Wax gilding, available in most art stores these days, comes in many shades of gold. They are ideal for touching up damaged gold leaf and for applying a broken gold surface over white or colored paint. They are easy to apply, ensuring that even the most inexperienced restorer can restore their prized antique piece. Wax guilt can be easily removed with turpentine substitute, so it’s a good idea to protect it with a coat of alcohol-based clear varnish. Another alternative is liquid sheet, again easy to apply. It can be painted with a brush or drawn with a pen. It is shinier than gold leaf and does not have the same ‘antique’ finish as wax guilt, therefore larger areas may not have the desired effect, especially when restoring your antique piece.
Ormolu is bronze, cast into decorative forms gilded with gold leaf and affixed to parts of furniture. One form of decoration that developed from ormolu is the brass alloy, with the same appearance as gold. Oromolu’s surface often tarnishes because the brass sweats through the gilding. Clean it by gently brushing the surface with soap and warm water containing a few drops of ammonia. To remove any stubborn surface dirt, add more ammonia. Always wear rubber gloves for this job.
To restore faded or damaged antique painted furniture, scrape the paint down to the surface and fill deep scratches or holes with plastic wood or texturing polymer paste. Dab the area with thin glass paper and repaint, using matching artists’ oil colors. To achieve a matte finish, use only primer; cover it when dry with a good quality matt varnish. Small areas of old paint texture can be blended using a white base coat as a base. Apply colors to match the artists’ oil paint, which should always be one shade lighter than the original. When the paint dries, it should match the original shades. A varnish can be applied; however, it is better to varnish the entire area than the retouched area. This will give an overall even texture to your old piece. The new gloss may be a bit too shiny when it dries; if so, gently rubbing it with steel wool will give it that old fashioned look.
