Gilt Leather

Welcome to the site for gilt leather. Gilt leather is also known as Spanish leather, cuir doré, guadamacil, goldleder ledertapeten, guadameciles, goudleer, goudleder, cuir de cordoue, kurdybany.

Conservation of gilt leather Links to gilt leather

What is gilt leather?

Gilt leather is not gold, although it is is golden in appearance. It is made by covering the leather with silver leaf, and then the silver is covered with a yellow varnish. This gives the silver, which shines through the varnish, a golden colour. Occasionally it is varnished with a clear varnish to give a silver colour, but it is still known as gilt leather. The leather is usually either embossed in a wooden or metal mould, or it is stamped with a variety of decorative punches. These processes outline the design and give a three dimensional quality to the leather so that it catches the light and sparkles. The design is then picked out with paints. Sometimes a simple single colour is used, at other times a full colour palette is used. The colours can be opaque or translucent. It is common to find the same design but with a quite different colour-way. The maker would allow the client to choose an appropriate colour scheme.

The leather could be made in individual sheets from single skins, or it could be made up into large sheets before painting. Individual sheets were often sewn together to give wall hangings which could be hung in a similar way to tapesteries. It was also made into many other items including folding screens, covers for furniture such as chairs, and made into religious vestments and altar frontals.

The International Council of Museums Conservation Committee (ICOM-CC) Working Group on Leather and related Materials has recently published the papers from its 1998 conference "The Conservation of Gilt Leather" this includes further information on the technology of gilt leather and its conservation. It can be puchased from www.lulu.com as a colour book Support independent publishing: buy this book on Lulu. or a black and white one Support independent publishing: buy this book on Lulu. It is also available as a free download from either of these web addresses by clicking on the icons.

Examples of gilt leather in use.
Gilt leather wall hanging at Bateman's, The National Trust, UK. Chair with gilt leather seat. Powis Castle, The National Trust, UK. Gilt leather screen. Dunham Massey, The National Trust, UK.