Gilt leather conservation: A critical review to promote improved conservation strategies

Gilt leather is a decorative art form mainly used for wall hangings from the middle ages onwards. A leather support covered by thin silver leaves is coated with a yellow or orange-brown oil-resin varnish, providing the gold appearance. Further decorations are applied with various oil paints, glazes and varnishes. Complex ageing processes and the...

Spectral imaging of Dutch gilt leather for improved conservation strategies

Gilt leather was one of the most fashionable and costly types of wall hangings in the Western world in the 16th to 18th centuries. Despite its appearance, it is not real gold that creates the golden shine, but typically a silver leaf which is coated with an orange-brown lacquer to obtain a golden lustre. Gilt leather has its origins in North...