Laying &
Burnishing
Gold

Tools anti Materials.
SCISSORS.

BURNISHING-SLAB.

BREATHING-TUBE.

RUBBING-PAPER.

CHALK OR SOFT LEAD
PENCIL.

BURNISHER, TOOTH
SHAPE.

FEATHER (Brush, &c.).
BRUSH.

(HARD INDIARUBBER.)

(POWDER GOLD & FINE
BRUSH.)

Summary of Process.

For cutting gold-leaf.

For backing the parchment or
paper while under pressure.

For damping size.

For pressing leaf on to size.

For marking form on rubbing-
paper.

For (i) pressing down, and (2)
burnishing gold-leaf.

For dusting off the pounce.

For brushing off waste leaf.

(For removing gold from parch¬
ment.)

(For “mending” in certain
cases.)

LAYING THE GROUND

Drawing the Form.—Elaborate letters or orna¬
ments may be drawn with a hard pencil, which will
leave slight indentations in the surface of the page
when the marks of the lead have been removed
with indiarubber. In the case of free lettering or
gofd writing, however, the forms should be made
directly with the pen (see pp. 114, 130).

Preparing the Surface: Pouncing.—The surfáce is
thoroughly cleaned and prepared with powdered
pumice stone, or other suitable “pounce” (see pp.
133, 140). This being rubbed well into the actual
part which is to take the size absorbs grease and
slightly roughens1 the surface. The surrounding
parts are also pounced to prevent the gold-leaf from
sticking to them later.

Composition of the Ground or Size. The chief

1 The surface of homy or greasy parchment may be slightly
roughened with a pen-knife till little hairs are raised which
will hold the size, care being taken that this roughening does
not extend beyond the actual parts which are to be covered
with size. (Oxgall: see footnote, p. 141.)

112

substance in a “size” or raising preparation is Laying &
generally some kind of earthy matter, to give it Burnishing
body—such as chalk, Armenian bole, slaked plaster of Gold
Paris (this is very good: see p. 132).1 Other sub¬
stance;, having toughness and stickiness (such as glue
and gelatin, and sugar, treacle and honey) are used to
bind the earthy matter and prevent its breaking when
the page is turned over or bent, and also to make the
size adhere to the page and the gold-leaf stick to the
size. Yellow or red colouring matter is often added.

A preservative, such as oil of cloves—in a minute
quantity—may be present: this will permit of the
size being kept in a semi-liquid condition, in a
closed jar.

Mixing the Size with IVater.—The size, if kept
semi-liquid, must be stirred very carefully and well,
and a little taken out of the jar is rubbed down in
a saucer—great care being taken to avoid making
bubbles. The right consistency is judged by experi¬
ence—it should be thick rather than thin, but it
should be thin enough to flow easily.

It is essential that all the ingredients be present
in their right proportions, and the mixture should
be stirred every now and then. Otherwise the earthy

1 Good results have been obtained from a mixture consisting
approximately of Slaked Plaster of Paris io-\-Whitelead 3 +Fish-
glue 3 + Treacle 1 :—by weight.

Another recipe (given to me by Mr. G. Loumyer) is :—

“ Chalk ( Whiting).

Oxide of Iron—¿ grain.

Glue (Carpenter's)—4 grains.

Gum Arabic—2 grains.

Water—50 grains.

Melt the gum and the glue together in the water, then add the oxide
of iron, and, lastly put in enough chalk to make the whole a rather
liquid paste. Apply to the parchment, which you have previously
well rubbed with whiting, and, when dry, apply the gold-leaf with
alcohol."

из