A Queen Elizabeth II Royal presentation silver and gold…
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A Queen Elizabeth II Royal presentation silver and gold cigarette box by Garrard & Co Ltd, London 1972, decorated with reeded bands within floral cast borders, the hinged cover embellished with EIIR coronet in gold, enclosing gilded interior, 396 grams, 13 cm wide. Provenance: Presented by HRH Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh to Sir Hughie Idwal Edwards, VC, Kcmg, Cb, DSO, Obe, DFC Governor of Western Australia (1974-1975) and Mrs Dorothy Carew Edwards when H. M the Queen returned to the U. K for the General Election. Then gifted to James Oswald Fairfax AC on his 50th birthday in 1983 by Dorothy Carew Edwards.

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  • 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.

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