Gilding, as an Interior Decoration.
Supposing the internal decorations to have proceeded thus far, we may next say a few words about the costly material gold, as applied in furtherance of these embellishments. This is only of limited application, and in the better class of houses; but as gilt mouldings frequently form the finishing part of the papering of a room, and as the houses of most persons contain some articles which are gilt, we will give a slight description of the processes followed by the gilder, but without reference to any particular article of furniture, since that is a department into which we do not profess to enter.
A metal gilder, or water gilder, is a different workman from the carver and gilder, who gilds various articles of wood or composition. The former lays a thin coating of gold on articles of metal, by means of mercury and of heat, an employment of an extremely unhealthy character. The carver and gilder lays a surface of leaf-gold on ornaments, frames, or mouldings, made of wood, plaster of Paris, papier-maché, or composition.
If the gold were laid on the bare material by any sort of gum or cement, it would not adhere permanently, nor would it have that brilliancy of appearance which the natural lustre of the metal is calculated to produce; above all, that dazzling surface, known as burnished gold, could not be so produced. The gilder, therefore, lays on a certain thickness of such substances as experience has taught him will answer the proposed end. There are, doubtless, many substances which would answer for this purpose; but the course which is actually adopted we proceed to describe.