Gilded Coat of Arms of Australia
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.
For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.
Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
Tibetan bronze figure of Syamatara, 18th century, seated on a double-lotus base with one leg pendant, with gilded face and silver inlay, (A/F). Height 16.8 cm
Bali, figure of Padmapani, possibly 12th century, bronze Bodhisattva with parasol seated on a round throne incised with rectangles and floral scroll. One leg crossed and right leg outstretched with open palm resting on knee. The figure is seated in the pos
An Indian bronze deity with Bulging eyes & multiple arms each holding a Symbolic object, carved to the base are lines of Sanskrit, a naga slithering in front, & above another three figures, detailing on the reverse & sanskrit characters, height 18 cm
A bronze Bacchanalian figure group modelled as a temptation scene, replete with grapes and vine leaves, raised on a separate base, 78 cm high