IMGR31 (2)

I

GILDINC AND TECHNIQUES OF DECORATION

pcpatcd with glair, or somc othcr adheiwc, prior to thc application ofthc heated piat.

Bodi thc mcthods and the rcsuks of thc iwo kindi of cmbouing, with heated metal pin* and wilh wooden mould, «ot quitc diflaent ftom one another. The earlier technique waa almoK ccrtainly a Spanish invcniion, prohably daiing front the early tincenth etntuty. Metal plam. uiually of iron, were employed on włuch thc design was cngravcd, a met hod włuch pennined foirly Cne dctail but no gnat dcgrcc of relief To covo Ac relativcly large arca, botb hcat and pressure were ncccuary, to thc plam wat hcucd and thc cmboiłing donc in a pcess.' At alicady noted, it it quitc likdy tliat this ptoccn was dcacłopcd bom thc pmcnce of hand-namping włuch may have bccn suggested by ifac ‘working’ of gold gtounds found in fourtccnth>ccntury panel paintings and illuminatcd —nomip«s.ocbyps*nflfiool»ngofeaiły lattdfpr bookbindings. boih designed to impait spatHc 10 a plain metallic wibre. Thit ptoccst (akhough ttill aomrłimrs employed in the dgłmrnth Camay) was bborious włme large arat woc cooctmed. and was appatendy at fint supcncded.whcteihe design was suitable. by die use cfmnBcngtattd and punched omal plam from wfaich many impeetsions could be madę. An ccaaplc oflhi* labour-sning but artabcaDy dccadcot idea (the fint of teveral in ihe ptogretuve rationaliution of thc ounuficture of leatha hangingt) appean in Platę 19: in this case the timulatcd punching has bccn ingenioasły employed to pcowdc emphasis, for cxample in the body ofthc lion. This fragment is pan ofa friczc for włuch only a smali piąte would bcnecctuty. Early mtnplct of fulUsizc mural paneli embotted by meam of a single large metal piąte aic rare. Therc is one in a Spanish collcction,* suted to be of sixtcenth-century datę (Platę 28) thc design of which includes arabcsquct and anthemia, touched with colour. on a iilvcr grouud. A fine examplc of this kind of wock, akhough noc a mural pand. but alto of unccnth-cctiiury datę and pouibly madę in thc Low Countries, is in the Muscum of Leathcrcrafi (Platę 20). This panel, mcatunng about 042x0.12 m. (t6|* rai in.). it of vcgctablc-tanncd caMśkin. The intricatc deuil, including even the temorc and patterning of the gumom, could not havc been produced by any meam othcr chan a hetttd metal piąte oodtr pranae. The tdv« has beea yrllow-varnuhcd 10 simulate gold; « wat, pet łupi, a chcap imkation of goldsmiths* wock nudę for ccdesiasdcal me. The amury and duli lic. of orane, in the design and cngraving of the piąte: thc rat wat a taiionalucd pcocess for rcpctitivc wock which madę ute of the thenno-mung ptopenm of WgniliW tanned katber.

The finał dradopmcnc. which wfll presendy be desedbed m dctail. wat the emb otsaog of damped leatha with wooden moulds in a roiła press, akr gilding. Therc are some

¹ Vwkal tarranm vcr nUh and dat wti awkablf the im wi oeiguuDy bodt dar 1 da dońm and fa embotuae «śh hn—ł —tl plan In thc tettn ■MbayaaadSanpjadi

■ CoOKtiMDmAnuudft Panno, nhibacdCdtdohi. 1924.1

II Willa