Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology

Previous item Up One Level Next item

gilding

The art or process of adhering thin metal leaf to a surface, e.g., the leather cover or edges of a book, so as to approximate the effect of solid or inlaid metal. Although the term is applied to the decoration of both covers and edges, it is more accurately used with reference to edges, and the term GOLD TOOLING for covers.

Although the term "gilding" ultimately derives from a word for gold, it also designates the application of other leaf metal to a surface. Gold, silver, and palladium leaf are the most commonly used metals; however, gold is by far predominant. DUTCH GOLD and ALUMINUM LEAF are imitations of precious metals which give inferior effects and are not sufficiently permanent for archival work. On the other hand, they are superior in both effect and permanence to the so-called gold paint made with bronze power, to the silver paints made of aluminum powder, and to the various imitation gold foils made of various combinations of baser metals. See also: GILT EDGES ;GILT EXTRA ;GILT IN THE ROUND ;GILT IN THE SQUARE ;GILT MARBLED EDGES ;GILT ON LANDSCAPES ;ROUGH GILT .

(83 , 152 , 161 , 233 , 236 , 335 , 343 )




[Search all CoOL documents]