Antique burnishing tools for gold-silver leaf

[PinchPoint]

I have a nice lot of antique gold leafing tool and aids for your viewing pleasure.









I hope you enjoyed the show. Ray

 

[PinchPoint]

These tools can be dated by Herman's news paper add pasted to the brush. Top right first picture. Here is a slice of history.

Baehr became interested in Republican politics and eventually met Mark Hanna. His friendship with Hanna sparked a second career in politics. In 1903, at Hanna's urging Baehr ran for and was elected County Recorder. Hanna died the following year, and local GOP looked to Baehr to run against Tom L. Johnson for the city's mayor.

This clipping was for him running or being County Recorder.

 

[3baygarage]

Wow, very interesting looking lot. Are you familiar with how each one was used?

I assume they are all applicators/smoothing tools of some sort. What are the two boards?

 

[PinchPoint]

Yes for rubbing the leaf onto your project. The boards held onto gold powder or leaf as you worked I believe. Then you would knock off excess for reuse or resale.

 

[PinchPoint]

The tools were inside of this 1880s biscuit tin store counter display box. The box also contained gold & silver leaf and powders. With paint and adhesive I believe.

 

[MarkG]

The broad brush-looking things are called 'gilders tips' and are strictly for transferring the individual leaves of gold onto the surface to be gilded. They are brushed back and forth vigorously through your hair to get a static charge and then laid on a leaf and picked up and deposited onto your perfectly-tacky 'size'. Leaf is so thin that you cannot pick it up any other way! The only exception being 'patent leaf' which comes attached to tissue and doesn't require using a tip. The regular-looking brush was probably a size brush. This is not a lost art----I've done it and have the tools, but don't claim to be expert at it! Guys in my trade who still practice traditional hand-lettering can do this sort of thing!

 

[PinchPoint]

Yes they fall to pieces if you even look at then let alone touch them. I have a sealed package of what I assume are gold leaf. More than likely from this time period.

 

[3baygarage]

Very cool guys. That counter box is a great piece too.