What is Gilt?

The term ‘gilt’ is used throughout the world of antiques to describe the finish applied to a variety of items. For example: ‘gilt mirrors‘, ‘gilt bronze wine coolers’ or ‘antique gilt console table’.

The term is generally used to describe the thin layer of gold, or other material, that has been applied during the process of gilding. Gilding usually involves coating an object with a gold coloured metal leaf or real gold. The term ‘gilding’ is sometimes used to simply mean ‘improving the appearance of an object.’

The practice of gilding woods and metals was popular with the ancient Egyptians who would use gold plated wood to produce prestigious statues and gold leaf to decorate palaces. Today the practice of gilding is still employed in frame making, antique mirror reproduction and decoration.

If you are buying a piece of restored antique furniture, or maybe a reproduction, it is worthwhile checking to find out whether genuine gold leaf was used in the gilding process or whether the cheaper alternative, Dutch Gold, has been used.

Buy Quality Reproductions not Cheap Imitations

The quality of reproduction Antique furniture varies enormously from plastic laminated chipboard rubbish through to accurate copies, skillfully crafted from the only the best materials. As the saying goes ‘you gets what you pays for’. But quality often comes with a hefty price tag!

What is that hefty price tag actually paying for? If you take a look at this page provided by Antique Mirrors Specialist Tony Williams: Reproduction Mirrors you can see exactly what goes into a faithful reproduction that will become a valued antique of the future:

• Frames made from high quality old or seasoned timber
• Frames faithfully reproducing original designs
• Real gold leaf used (not the Dutch Gold used by many reproductions)
• Scrolls, beadwork and cartouches that match original designs exactly
• Mirrors made to your specific size and design specification.

Mirrors of this quality are available at prices that are close to those of the original antique mirror so you may well ask ‘why would I buy a reproduction mirror at this price’? One key reason is that Tony Williams is reproducing styles of mirrors that are increasingly becoming hard to find in their original form. This has led to him making these faithful copies that accurately reproduce all of the beautiful details of the originals.

At the end of the day it all comes down to budget. There are relatively few people who can afford to spend thousands on a wall mirror but handmade quality costs money. So if you want an antique of the future, handmade with real gold leaf and not the cheap Dutch Gold (which isn’t really gold) you should check out the reproduction mirrors available from Tony Williams Antique Mirrors.