GILDING

GILDING AND CHASED GILDING

Henry Daniel, is credited with developing mercury based gilding c.1803, which enabled much richer gilded decoration than previously. It may be an elaborate decoration or a simple line to the edge of the pot. When gold is fired it appears with a matt rough surface and is light brown in colour, it requires to be burnished to obtain a really brilliant sheen. From this, chasing was developed, which involved the drawing of a design with a pointed agate stone on the matt gold surface, and was carried out not by a burnisher but by an artist or gilder. Gilding was a highly skilled art form involving several different qualities of gold ranging from the cheapest brassy type to Best Gold, almost 24 carat metal. Gilding was the final stage of decorating.

Spode plate, c.1820 and drabware bucket and ladle, c.1810 both with burnished mercury gilding

Copeland ‘Paris’ embossed plate painted by Lucien Besche, with chased gilding attributed to Charles Deville, c. 1875

Copeland plate rims with variety of gilded decoration, c. 1889 to 1890

RAISED GILDING

This is a complicated and very expensive process using a paste (comprising flux, yellow colour and finely ground china wasters) applied by hand using a fine camel hair brush, known as a pencil to build up the required design in raised relief, c.1816. This was then allowed to dry slowly to prevent cracking and fired at relatively low temperature. Raised paste gilding was fragile and could not stand the force of burnishing, therefore often appeared matt or dull.

Spode vase with raised paste gilding, c.1824

Copeland plate with raised paste gilding, c. 1860

Copeland plate with raised paste, jewelled and burnished gilding, c. 1886

LUSTRE

Lustre is a thin film of metal derived from metallic salts mixed with the glaze on the surface and firing in a reducing (low-oxygen) atmosphere. John Hancock who worked with Henry Daniel at Spode is credited with inventing this new form of Lustre decoration. There are three different methods for lustre decoration: plated, mottled and shaded or washed. Platinum lustre (plated) decoration was only used on Spode’s patterns for two years, c.1805-06. Spode went on to produce a mottled lustre combining gold and pink which can been seen on seven Spode patterns between pattern numbers 1091 to 1397 (c.1807-09). Shaded or washed lustre goes over a transfer print, known examples are Chinese of Rank, Greek and Indian Sporting.

Spode examples of plated (Platinum) lustre with burnished mercury gilding., c.1805

Spode wall pocket with mottled lustre, c.1807

Copeland and Garrett cup and saucer printed in black with Chinese of Rank pattern with shaded or washed pink lustre, c.1833