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A few 14th and 15th century recipes are rewritten and given below as examples.
For original texts see section on source materials under home page.
These recipes may be difficult to use many require a wet gilding method.
Wet method: when the preparation layer is dried they are scraped smooth and polished.
They are wet very carefully only on the bole preparation with water, glair or an alcohol
solution and the leaf gold is layed onto them. The leaf must be left untouched until dry
at which time excess gold may be brushed away and the gold surface burnished.
From: JACOB CONA, Flemish illuminator living in Paris
"De Coloribus Diversis Modis Tractatur" / A Treatise Upon Colors of Various Kinds
1398
1 part white chalk
1/4 part Armenian bole or saffron (these are for coloration only)
Grind well on slab with water
Before it is dry, but after it has set, distemper with size or glair.
* The size should be warm; this size should congeal at room temp. to a soft jelly.
The preparation should flow like ink, or as "seems convenient"
Apply with brush; may congeal in pen. Keep warm to avoid gel while working.
Apply one layer; let dry.
Burnish.
Gilding which will not be burnished:
Glue used in making bows and arrows; soften glue, add softened glue to equal part water. *
* Try 1 part dry rabbitskin glue/ 4 parts water
Keep glue warm
Paint out one layer over area to be gilded; allow to dry
Apply second coat; lay gold before it dries
From: ANTONIO DI COMPENDIO, Illuminator
"De Diversis Coloribus" /A Treatise upon Various Colors 1398
Dictated to Le Begue; Compendio was very old at the time, recipes date to mid 14th century.
1 part chalk
1/3 part "ocra de ru" (a red ochre or bole?)
Grind with as little water as possible... should be thick
Temper with glair*
* If time permits allow this mordant to get stale for a few days or weeks; keep
it liquid during this time with water or glair.)
Paint out areas to gild/ dry /gild /dry / burnish.
From: Master Painter ANDREW of COLMAR
“The Strasburg Manuscript” 15th century
“ If you want to make a foundation for gilding”
Crush chalk; cover it with water, let sit for two days
Grind to paste on a slab, let dry
Two parts of this chalk with one part sal ammoniac
Tiny piece dried fish glue (amount not clear) and a little honey
Grind together with water.
From: Master Painter HENRY of LUBECK
“The Strasburg Manuscript” 15th century
Make a thin fish glue by boiling head and scales in water
Grind chalk with this glue, allow to dry.
Grind a piece the size of a hazel nut of this dried mixture with glair.
Add amount of a pea each sal ammoniac and vermilion plus three saffron strands.
Grind well on slab, put into a pot. Dilute for use.
Lay gold by wet method. To gild in a dry method add a few drops of honey
to the mixture.
From: Anonymous text “De Arte Illuminandi” 14th century Italian,
Naples
Grind together 4 parts slaked plaster 1 part bole.
Add rabbitskin glue grind until smooth.
Add honey grind, add glair as needed to achieve flowing consistency.
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