Gilding: selected works

For gilding churches, iconostases and icons we use gold leaf and imitation leaf. It is painstaking work that demands skill — but no paint can match the result: only leaf gold gives a true metallic lustre.

Gold leaf is laid either on an oil size (mordant) or on bole (water gilding):

• Mordant is a mixture of hemp and linseed oils with varnishes, with different drying times. This kind of gilding lasts for decades.
• Water gilding on bole uses a mixture of clay, soap and beeswax. The gilded surface looks like solid metal; the method suits icons and church furnishings protected from the elements.

Both methods can be combined in one piece.