gold leaf; opaque white adhesive mordant; transparent red, green, and yellow glazes

Ingredients

gold leaf, organic dyestuffs

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

A fine grid was painted with narrow lines of an opaque white adhesive mordant on top of a deep red background. Gold leaf was applied while the mordant was still tacky to adhere only to linear details (p. 94). Foliate designs on silver-leaf were colored with transparent glazes likely derived from organic dyestuffs (p. 100).

Evidence

"a fine grid with interspersed scrollwork motifs was painted with narrow lines of an opaque white adhesive mordant on top of a deep red background (Fig. 13a). ... foliate design colored with transparent red, green, and yellow glazes (likely derived from organic dyestuffs) that impart a rich and glowing enamel-like effect."

Remarks

Analysis of Ms. Ludwig IX.5 (83.ML.101). The mordant-gilded lines can be mistaken for shell gold but lack grains under microscopic inspection, showing instead the physical stress marks of leaf (p. 94). The silver leaf was enliven by combining various glazes to create an enamel-like appearance (p. 100).