Gold Without Gold

Manuscript recipes:

p029v_1
Couleur d’or sans or sur l’argent
<ab>Colore ton <m>argent</m> de foeille apliqué avecq de la <m>terre emerita</m>,<lb/>
et estant sec donne une main de vernis d’<m>aspic</m> et de <m>sandaraque</m>. Et<lb/>
il sera plus beau qu’<m>or bel</m></ab></div>

Color of gold without gold on silver
<ab>Color your <m>silver sheet</m> by applying some <m>terra emerita</m> and once dry spread a handful of <m>aspic</m> varnish and <m>sandarac</m> and it will be more beautiful than fine <m>gold</m>.</ab></div>

p056v_1 (057r)
...
Le vernis blanc de <m>tourmentine</m> ou d’<m>huille daspic</m> et de <m>tourmentine</m><lb/>
se colore avecq de la <m>terra emerita</m> pulverisée, la faisant bouillir ensemble.<lb/>
Il donne couleur d’<m>or</m> sur l’<m>argent</m> et plus beau s’il est bruny. Il est sec<lb/>
en ung quart d’heure. L’<m>aloe</m> feroit bien plus couleur haulte, mais il est long<lb/>
à seicher & l’aultre est sec en ung quart d’heure l’yver aussi bien que l’este.</ab>
…
White <m>turpentine</m> varnish or <m>aspic oil</m> and <m>turpentine</m> is colored with powdered <m>turmeric</m> boiled together with it. It gives a <m>gold</m> color on <m>silver</m> which is even more beautiful when burnished. It dries within a quarter of an hour. <m>Aloes</m> would made an even brighter color but it takes time to dry whereas the other one dries within a quarter of an hour in winter as well as in summer.</ab>

Name: Emilie Foyer
Date and Time:

2015.11.30, 11:40 am

Location: Chandler Laboratory
Subject: Gold without Gold using Aspic Varnish and Terra Merita

See Turpentine Varnish Field Notes and Turmeric Extraction Field Notes for Previous Steps
11:40 am :
Poured a small amount of the Varnish obtained above into a 100ml Beaker.
Put on Hot Plate
11:43
103°C
Then heated to aprox. 140°C (Thermometer vacillated between 138-143 range)
Added the Terra Merita extracted previously using Grain alcohol. See here for that experiment.

Heated for 10 min until fully dissolved. Some Black residue remained at the bottom.
(Eventually Broke end off Chopstick to make it more stable)


12:01
Applied plain Turpentine varnish to previously prepared square on gesso panel painted with Linseed oil Terra merita paint.
12:03
Applied the Yellow Terra merita and Turpentine Varnish to the silvered square.

Before applying both varnishes - 1B=Turmeric extract and Linseed oil - 1C=Silver leaf

After Applying Varnish- 1B = Turpentine varnish over tumeric extract&Linseed oil- 1C = Yellow Varnish over silver leaf

The video below shows the reflective properties of the different varnish combinations


Unless otherwise noted, all experiments were applied onto silver leaf.

Note: The Yellow Varnish that had been heated much longer also became viscous much more quickly after being taken off the heat.
While the Turpentine Varnish was still liquid enough to apply after 15 min of cooling, the yellow varnish had to stay on the heat in order to be liquid enough to apply.
Thus it can be said that our Author practitioner is right is saying that heating the varnish will make it more desiccative.

The pictures below show the viscosity of the yellow varnish:



12:18.
Checked the Varnish
Yellow varnish: Does it take 15 min to dry?
No. It doesn't
BUT after 15 min, it is so viscous it would be impossible to spread.

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Name: Emilie Foyer
Date and Time:

2015.11.30, 1:57pm

Location: Chandler Lab
Subject: Gold without Gold using Aspic Varnish and Terra Merita

See here for preparation of the Aspic Varnish used in this experiment

13:57
Added the terra merita into the varnish

In a few seconds and with minor mixing, it easily dissolved into the varnish leaving no residue. 115°C

13:59
Completely dissolved temperature at 131°C


2:01 Applied varnish to both unused squares


Because one does not use bole and is confusing, applied it to Jenny's panel as well for a better comparison.

Left: 1A= Real Gold Leaf - 1B=Turpentine Varnish applied over Turmeric/Linseed oil paint - 1C=Gold Turpentine Varnish - 1D=Aspic Varnish over Turmeric/Linseed oil paint - 1E= Gold Aspic Varnish
Right: 1A= Real Gold Leaf - 1B= Gold Aspic Varnish over silver leaf.

The varnishes applied directly to the leaf have optic properties closer to gold.
The aspic varnish golden varnish is a lighter shade of yellow than the turpentine varnish one.
Unless otherwise noted, all experiments were applied onto silver leaf


8B - Aspic Varnish with Terra Merita
8C - Turpentine Varnish with Terra Merita
8D - Terra Merita with Linseed Oil
8E - Left- Turmeric and Linseed Oil
Right- Turmeric with Water

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Name: Emilie Foyer
Date and Time:

2015.12.07, 12:40 pm

Location: Chandler Laboratory
Subject: Gold without Gold using Aspic Varnish and Terra Merita


12:40pm
Checked on the panel
While the color has held on the squares that use the turpentine varnish, the squares using the Aspic Varnish have been slightly discolored.

Perhaps this points to the accuracy of the note on fol. 4r
<m>Aspic oil varnish</m> is not as apt for colors as that of <m>turpentine</m>, because <m>aspic oil</m> eats the colors, since it is too penetrating.</note>
</div>

and on fol. 60v
"Do not mingle it with colors because it is so strong and penetrating that it chips colors off which afterwards come off."

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