The Gilders Source
These are traditional Italian terms from the gold-leaf and metal-leaf craft, especially tied to gilding and book production. Battitura Battitura literally means “beating” or “hammering.” In practice, it refers to the physical process of hammering metal—usually gold, silver, or imitation alloys—into extremely thin sheets (leaf). Key points: In gilding contexts, battitura means: The transformation of … Read more
In the world of gilding, the question that arises frequently is “can I oil gild a surface and get the look of burnished gold without water gilding.” The answer has always been “no”. The reason is simple: you cannot use an agate burnisher on oil gilding. It will scratch the leaf, not polish it. A … Read more
On choosing the best gold leaf for various gilding situations. The Best Gold Leaf: A Gilder’s Guide When one says “best gold leaf,” it’s not quite as simple as picking the purest gold and calling it a day. Different project contexts—exterior surfaces, interior frames, glass (eglomise), decorative objects—demand different combinations of purity (karat), thickness, support … Read more