The Gilded Reed

The recipe for this experiment comes from BnF Ms. Fr. 640, a 16th century manuscript held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF).

Lettering of gold on paper

Write with fig tree milk then let it dry a little, next lay the gold leaf, & once quite dry, rub with a linen cloth and only the lettering will remain.¹

This may possibly be the easiest gilding recipe this blog ever features. Here’s how you do it.

• First, obtain fresh figs.
• You will cut the top off (where the stem is). Gently, squeeze the top. A milky substance will come out.

• You will dip a paintbrush right into the juice.
• Paint that where you want to gild.
• Place the metal down. I used scraps in the photo below. Interestingly enough, this is one of the few historic mordants where I was able to use imitation gold leaf, no problem.
• Do note, however, you cannot burnish gilding done using this recipe.

Sources:

1. A direct link to this recipe: https://edition640.makingandknowing.org/folios/8r/f/8r/tl. ↩︎