Читать книгу Handicraft Simplified Procedure and Projects in Leather, Celluloid, Metal, Wood, Batik, Rope, Cordage, Yarn, Horsehair, Pottery, Weaving, Stone, Primitive Indian Craft - Lester Griswold - Страница 28

The art of impressing gold on leather developed as a part of the bookbinder’s craft, but its origin has not yet been traced. It is said to have been employed in Syria as early as the 13th Century and we know that it was brought from the East into Italy after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. For about 100 years Italian craftsmen controlled the art and many examples of their excellent workmanship are still preserved in museum collections. A characteristic of the Italian gold tooling was the wide variety of decoration obtained with a few simple design elements skillfully arranged in combination and repetition. This is evident in the modern Florentine leather craft which is still one of the famous art-craft products of the ancient city of Florence.

Gold may be applied to leather in two ways. Gold Tooling refers to the application of gold leaf or powder to the design which has been stamped into the leather. Gilding may be done to emphasize the design, to form a background for color application, or to finish the entire surface of the project. Gold leaf or gold powder is used according to the amount of surface to be covered.

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The illustration shows (1) a Florentine stamped purse with antique color application to the design area. The purse 1A is a modified Florentine design which is applied by tooling and outlined with a wash of oil paint.

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No. 1 is a Florentine address book covered with gold leaf. It also shows the outline and color application described on page 50. No. 2 shows the front of a book cover with design tooled, gold powder and color lacquer applied and a section of the design border stamped.