How to clean guilding

[barbara-brundage]

Carl, you are correct about the restoration. I have asked and been told no dice–all or

nothing.

[unknown-user]

Gilding has been used in one form or another for thousands of years. Both oil and water gilding techniques have been, and still are used today. Oil gilding traditionally is used for decorative, and architectural applications for interior and exterior uses to include musical instruments. A glue formulation called size which is usually made from a linseed oil base is applied to a well prepared surface with gesso. Gesso is a highly refined plaster. The size is allowed to dry to a point where there is enough “tack” to apply the gold leaf. The time needed varies according to humidity, temp., etc. The gilder uses special tools, and techniques to work with the leaf that is extremely fragile due to it’s thinness.

Water gilding is a much more refined, and complicated technique which is typically used for musical instruments, religious art, fine furniture, and picture frames. A carefully prepared surface is given as many as a dozen coats of gesso followed by many coats of bole. Bole is a highly refined pigmented clay mixture which will lend a certain hue to the leaf due to it’s transparent quality. The bole is then polished to remove any surface imperfections, and is given a coat of size. Each gilder has hers or his “favorite recipe” according to the object being gilded, and it’s intended use. Special tools such as agate burnishers bring the surface to a highly reflective state. The gilder would usually double gild in this instance, and not apply lacquer to seal the work as this would ruin the reflective quality. Matte finished areas would, however be sealed with lacquer.

Water and extreme humidity will damage the size, and gesso on water gilding, and lift the gold. In order to repair this damage a mold needs to be made from existing relief to replace the damaged areas, and the gilding process is repeated. In my opinion, the more experience a gilder has, the better. I would ask for, and check references as well as looking at their portfolio. I would not neccessarily go for the lowest bid as with this highly skilled craft/art form, you will get what you pay for. Another area for thought comes to mind….on conservation vs. restoration and the ethics involved with both.

And to Beth, I would enjoy playing your harp as much as possible, and admire the patina your harp has achieved as a record of it’s personal history.

[Tacye]

My 1899 Browne and Buckwell has/(had!) both water and oil gilding so don’t assume just because you have identified one area you have identified it all.

[unknown-user]

Tayce, I would also like to know what the term “bronzed” means too. I’ve know of ormolu which is a mixture of gold and mercury applied to bronze and brass, and then heated with the end result resembling a solid gold object. This was used mostly in 18th. century French decorative items, and furniture. Would anyone know if ormolu was used in harp ornamentation?

[barbara-brundage]

Bronzing is giving the harp a gilded effect by applying a powder made of ground up metal

to the harp. It looks something like matte gold, at least when new, but will turn quickly if

the lacquer is compromised at all. It’s applied over size, like oil gilding.

Again like gilding, the currently available bronzing powders don’t give the same effect as

old bronze does, because the metal used to be stamped in a way that left lots of pointy

edges to catch the light and now the bits are rounder. Bronzing powder is very dangerous

if you happen to inhale any, but it’s available in many art stores–much easier to come by

than real gold.

Tacy, what you say about your harp is interesting. The Browne and Buckwell harps I have

seen were entirely done in oil.

[barbara-brundage]

re Bronzing: Wurlitzer used to offer a bargain finish that was a combination of bronzing

with a bit of water gilding on the highlighted areas.

[howard-bryan]

We actually do restore both water and oil gilding, and work on a very wide range of harps.

The early Erards and their contemporaries wer gilded with oil.

[Tacye]

Just throwing in a random detail that may be of interest to some- it is possible to get bronzing powders which are mica based and as such do not tarnish the way conventional bronze powder does.

[unknown-user]

I’ve only been playing the harp for 2 1/2 years now. I am now a stay at home mom with my 7 yr. old son who has autism, who is showing an interest in playing the harp. My previous experience, and passion has been art history/conservation/museum studies.

[carl-swanson]

This is the first time in perhaps two weeks that I have checked this thread.

Holy Christmas!

[carl-swanson]

I forgot to mention that my own Swanson Harps use a combination of oil and

water gilding too.

[unknown-user]

Exactly what is burnishing?

[carl-swanson]

Burnishing is done when you want a very, VERY shiny surface to the gold.

[unknown-user]

Many think that it is the gold leaf which is burnished to achieve a high polish, but in actuality it is the bole underneath the leaf which is further compacted, and polished to create the mirror-like finish. The leaf already has the characteristic to shine. I was also referring to ormolu in the true definition of the term. This process was replaced sometime in the 19th. century by gold plating which is the application of gold by electrolysis.

[Tacye]

Rather after the fact for the rest of the thread, but there is another
way to clean gilding.

[Author]

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