Gold leaf on red bole, burnished with agate — a craft that has stayed the same for centuries.
A traditional gilding is made today as it was centuries ago: over a carefully built chalk ground comes the red bole — the Poliment — and onto it, leaf by leaf, the gold. Burnished with the agate stone, it begins to shine as if it were solid.
Only the interplay gives a gilded surface its life: brilliantly burnished heights beside calm, matte depths. Whoever looks closely can read in it the hand of the gilder — and the age of a piece.
“Gold makes light visible. It serves the piece — not the other way around.”Workshop wisdom
Where old gilding survives, it is preserved — not replaced. Worn gold through which the red bole shows is not damage but history: the trace of generations of hands and light.
Where parts are lost, we make skilled additions: newly gilded sections are toned so that they join the original quietly — and grow old alongside it with dignity.
Frames, carvings, and mounts; blind and gold tooling of leather — for desk tops and book spines; the restoration of gilded frames and figures. Every task in the master workshop, every one by the rules of the old craft.
Whether a gilded frame, a polychrome figure, or a leather desk top with gold tooling — we will gladly look at your piece. Reception by appointment: call 0221 430 13 95 or write to artliven@web.de.
