Gilding with gold leaf in ancient Egypt
Verfasst: 19.03.2024 10:37
DISCLAIMER:
You are EXPRESSLY WARNED against imitating the craftsmanship techniques shown in this documentation! The techniques documented in this topic for the production and use of adhesives as well as the handling of other materials and substance mixtures (component mixtures of different types of substances or components) can, under certain circumstances and with the appropriate disposition, lead to health problems. For example, the substance rosin (german: "Kolophonium"; particularly when heated) is potentially highly allergenic and asthma-triggering, depending on a person's disposition.
In this topic, the author in no way wants to call for a trivializing use or handling of alcohol (in any form).
The procedures, mixtures of substances (or mixtures of components and their applications described here) that the author discusses in this topic can potentially put a lot of strain on a person's health - depending on their individual disposition.
The author strongly advise against imitating the procedures and applications discussed by the author in this topic. The procedures presented here in the topic by the author are in no way recommended by the author for imitation, do not represent recipes in the sense of "recipes" (e.g. for cooking or similar), are in no way suitable for consumption and do not represent any special form of "Cosmetics" (in the sense of the term) or "craft instructions" or similar. The author also does not provide any instructions for the production and mixing of usable colors and paints or similar and their use.
The author is a master craftsman trained in restoration in certain areas and carries out the preliminary tests and experiments documented here with the greatest possible adherence to safety aspects and the constant use of personal protective equipment.
Any imitation of the procedures and craftsmanship or artistic contexts discussed by the author in this topic is strongly discouraged. In particular, any imitation of the content and procedures discussed in this topic by the author by minors (in the sense of the term depending on the jurisdiction of a respective country worldwide) must be prevented.
Some of the methods presented here by the author for the production and research of adhesives from natural materials include, under given negative conditions, the potential risk of the development of salmonella cultures on, for example, carrier materials, which is why the preliminary tests and experiments documented here are carried out by the author with the greatest caution and test objects in a timely manner destroyed and properly sterilized and disposed of.
The possibilities of producing adhesives from natural materials and the associated techniques and methods of material treatment and processing discussed by the author in this topic serve scientific purposes and thus in particular the reconstruction of historical adhesive production, bonding and coating techniques (in particular with foil metals).
Any imitation of any request to imitate the techniques and procedures presented and discussed here in the topic by the author in connection with substance mixtures (component mixtures) published by the author as well as the associated processing of substances and components and the production of component mixtures and their applications described here by the author are done exclusively at your own risk and are therefore free from any liability on the part of the author.
- Please do not try (imitate) this under any circumstances! -
ANY (any and only partial) IMITATION of the craft work techniques shown in this documentation by children, minors and people with limited ability to act and make decisions (the definitions of the groups of people mentioned also depend on the relevant jurisdiction of a respective country) should be prohibited must be prevented in any case. The craft techniques presented are not suitable for imitation by such groups of people.
Despite careful checking by the author, no liability is assumed for the correctness and correct presentation and description of all content.
In particular, the author assumes no liability whatsoever for any form of lost profits, regardless of the circumstances under which such connections should or may be justified by the author's publications here.
- - -
During restoration analyses, evidence was found that the ancient Egyptian artisans used gold leaf gilding for Tutankhamun's wooden sarcophagus discovered during Howard Carter's excavation campaign in the Valley of the Kings (here this refers to the larger of Tutankhamun's two wooden sarcophagi) with a layer of fabric between the wooden surface and the gold leaf ( probably linen) as a carrier material to cover the sarcophagus surface with a layer of gold leaf that was 14 - 18 micrometers thick, according to the lead restorer Ahmed Abdrabou.
- see film minute 04:08 - 05:36 -
In my opinion, it can be assumed that the ancient Egyptians used this method for three reasons: on the one hand, to compensate for the unevenness that remained after the wood surface was processed, and on the other hand, probably because the gold leaf on the linen carrier material could then be polished better overall. However, another argument for the ancient Egyptians' approach to gold leafing the wooden sarcophagus could have been that the filigree surface decorations on the sarcophagus surface could be contoured even better without the extremely thin gold leaf cracking (which still needs to be proven).
I will carry out a first preliminary experiment on the topic at the next opportunity.
Here is a first short video about the first preliminary attempts to produce an adhesive for applying gold leaf to wood from commercially available rosin (mainly natural resin) and organic linseed oil:
(watching time approx. 1 minute)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiULFsHFyOY
SOURCES:
Publisher: ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen / Second German Television), public law institution
Main page and simultaneous media library page of the publisher: https://www.zdf.de
Date and time of access: March 19, 2024; 10:22
quoted video source (ZDFinfo documentary): https://www.zdf.de/documentation/zdfinf ... tartTime=7
Title of the documentary from the ZDF media library: Ägypten-Schatzkammer der Archaeologie - die Geheimnisse Tutankhamuns (translat. engl.: Egypt: Treasury of Archaeology - The Secrets of Tutankhamun)
Treasury of Archaeology
Date and time of access: March 19, 2024; 10:22
According to the publisher, the video is still online until: March 28, 2024
PDF:
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Preußischer Kulturbesitz (State Museums in Berlin):
Mainpage of Publisher:
https://www.smb.museum/home/
date and time of access: 23.03.2024; 16:53 MEZ
cited PDF-File:
Anheuser, Kilian; Dept. of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3 PH
Berliner Beiträge zur Archäometrie, Band 13, Seite 87 - 97, 1995: Antike und neuere Techniken zur Vergoldung von Metallen und Nichtmetallen
https://www.smb.museum/fileadmin/websit ... _87-97.pdf
date an time of access: 23.03.2024, 16:48
Youtube:
Youtube-Mainpage: https://www.youtube.com/
Date and time of access: March 24, 2024; 11:04 CET
Youtube-Mainpage of Creator: Handwerkskunst_Handicraftarts
Youtube-adress to Main-Page of Creator: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLy6gO ... BkjqTgOAiA
Publisher / Creator: me. Vinzenz Maria Hoppe
Date and time of access: March 24, 2024; 11:05 CET
quoted video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiULFsHFyOY
Title of the video: EXARAE (2024); Preliminary test: Gilding leaf - produce adhesive resin from rosin and linseed oil
Date and time of access: March 24, 2024; 11:07 CET
You are EXPRESSLY WARNED against imitating the craftsmanship techniques shown in this documentation! The techniques documented in this topic for the production and use of adhesives as well as the handling of other materials and substance mixtures (component mixtures of different types of substances or components) can, under certain circumstances and with the appropriate disposition, lead to health problems. For example, the substance rosin (german: "Kolophonium"; particularly when heated) is potentially highly allergenic and asthma-triggering, depending on a person's disposition.
In this topic, the author in no way wants to call for a trivializing use or handling of alcohol (in any form).
The procedures, mixtures of substances (or mixtures of components and their applications described here) that the author discusses in this topic can potentially put a lot of strain on a person's health - depending on their individual disposition.
The author strongly advise against imitating the procedures and applications discussed by the author in this topic. The procedures presented here in the topic by the author are in no way recommended by the author for imitation, do not represent recipes in the sense of "recipes" (e.g. for cooking or similar), are in no way suitable for consumption and do not represent any special form of "Cosmetics" (in the sense of the term) or "craft instructions" or similar. The author also does not provide any instructions for the production and mixing of usable colors and paints or similar and their use.
The author is a master craftsman trained in restoration in certain areas and carries out the preliminary tests and experiments documented here with the greatest possible adherence to safety aspects and the constant use of personal protective equipment.
Any imitation of the procedures and craftsmanship or artistic contexts discussed by the author in this topic is strongly discouraged. In particular, any imitation of the content and procedures discussed in this topic by the author by minors (in the sense of the term depending on the jurisdiction of a respective country worldwide) must be prevented.
Some of the methods presented here by the author for the production and research of adhesives from natural materials include, under given negative conditions, the potential risk of the development of salmonella cultures on, for example, carrier materials, which is why the preliminary tests and experiments documented here are carried out by the author with the greatest caution and test objects in a timely manner destroyed and properly sterilized and disposed of.
The possibilities of producing adhesives from natural materials and the associated techniques and methods of material treatment and processing discussed by the author in this topic serve scientific purposes and thus in particular the reconstruction of historical adhesive production, bonding and coating techniques (in particular with foil metals).
Any imitation of any request to imitate the techniques and procedures presented and discussed here in the topic by the author in connection with substance mixtures (component mixtures) published by the author as well as the associated processing of substances and components and the production of component mixtures and their applications described here by the author are done exclusively at your own risk and are therefore free from any liability on the part of the author.
- Please do not try (imitate) this under any circumstances! -
ANY (any and only partial) IMITATION of the craft work techniques shown in this documentation by children, minors and people with limited ability to act and make decisions (the definitions of the groups of people mentioned also depend on the relevant jurisdiction of a respective country) should be prohibited must be prevented in any case. The craft techniques presented are not suitable for imitation by such groups of people.
Despite careful checking by the author, no liability is assumed for the correctness and correct presentation and description of all content.
In particular, the author assumes no liability whatsoever for any form of lost profits, regardless of the circumstances under which such connections should or may be justified by the author's publications here.
- - -
During restoration analyses, evidence was found that the ancient Egyptian artisans used gold leaf gilding for Tutankhamun's wooden sarcophagus discovered during Howard Carter's excavation campaign in the Valley of the Kings (here this refers to the larger of Tutankhamun's two wooden sarcophagi) with a layer of fabric between the wooden surface and the gold leaf ( probably linen) as a carrier material to cover the sarcophagus surface with a layer of gold leaf that was 14 - 18 micrometers thick, according to the lead restorer Ahmed Abdrabou.
- see film minute 04:08 - 05:36 -
In my opinion, it can be assumed that the ancient Egyptians used this method for three reasons: on the one hand, to compensate for the unevenness that remained after the wood surface was processed, and on the other hand, probably because the gold leaf on the linen carrier material could then be polished better overall. However, another argument for the ancient Egyptians' approach to gold leafing the wooden sarcophagus could have been that the filigree surface decorations on the sarcophagus surface could be contoured even better without the extremely thin gold leaf cracking (which still needs to be proven).
I will carry out a first preliminary experiment on the topic at the next opportunity.
Here is a first short video about the first preliminary attempts to produce an adhesive for applying gold leaf to wood from commercially available rosin (mainly natural resin) and organic linseed oil:
(watching time approx. 1 minute)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiULFsHFyOY
SOURCES:
Publisher: ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen / Second German Television), public law institution
Main page and simultaneous media library page of the publisher: https://www.zdf.de
Date and time of access: March 19, 2024; 10:22
quoted video source (ZDFinfo documentary): https://www.zdf.de/documentation/zdfinf ... tartTime=7
Title of the documentary from the ZDF media library: Ägypten-Schatzkammer der Archaeologie - die Geheimnisse Tutankhamuns (translat. engl.: Egypt: Treasury of Archaeology - The Secrets of Tutankhamun)
Treasury of Archaeology
Date and time of access: March 19, 2024; 10:22
According to the publisher, the video is still online until: March 28, 2024
PDF:
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Preußischer Kulturbesitz (State Museums in Berlin):
Mainpage of Publisher:
https://www.smb.museum/home/
date and time of access: 23.03.2024; 16:53 MEZ
cited PDF-File:
Anheuser, Kilian; Dept. of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3 PH
Berliner Beiträge zur Archäometrie, Band 13, Seite 87 - 97, 1995: Antike und neuere Techniken zur Vergoldung von Metallen und Nichtmetallen
https://www.smb.museum/fileadmin/websit ... _87-97.pdf
date an time of access: 23.03.2024, 16:48
Youtube:
Youtube-Mainpage: https://www.youtube.com/
Date and time of access: March 24, 2024; 11:04 CET
Youtube-Mainpage of Creator: Handwerkskunst_Handicraftarts
Youtube-adress to Main-Page of Creator: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLy6gO ... BkjqTgOAiA
Publisher / Creator: me. Vinzenz Maria Hoppe
Date and time of access: March 24, 2024; 11:05 CET
quoted video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiULFsHFyOY
Title of the video: EXARAE (2024); Preliminary test: Gilding leaf - produce adhesive resin from rosin and linseed oil
Date and time of access: March 24, 2024; 11:07 CET