[frameconnews] Re: painted frame

["Hugh Glover" <Hugh.Glover@clark.williams.edu>]

I somehow missed the initial question regarding cleaning of a frame, 
but caught an answer regarding saliva and a second answer regarding 
its non-leafed surface and a dog.  

In the late 19th c.and early 20th c. there was a vogue (USA) for gilded 
frames with molded plaster ornament with surfaces gilded with bronze 
paint.  Water gilt highlights often adorn the prominant and bold passages of 
the ornament.  Equally, many leaf gilded frames have been overpainted 
with bronze paints (that is another matter).  

An originally bronze painted surface could be expected to have a 
clear coating to inhibit tarnish, but this may not cover any water 
gilded parts (exam in UV).  Aqueous solutions can be used in
moderation to clean such bronze painted surfaces.  The use of
saliva at least ensures moderation.

Deionized water can be modified 
with 2% chelator (eg, ammonium citrate tribasic) and adjusted for pH
(to pH 8 with ammonium hydroxide) to prepare larger quantities of a 
cleaning solution.  Water gilding would of course be ruined with 
aqueous solutions.

Hope this helps (without having seen the question)

Hugh Glover

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