Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c9.s8.19

c9.s8.19

The modern method of preparing gold-powder by the Mughal painters of Delhi differs very little from the methods mentioned above. In this method, to reduce gold-leaves to powder, at first, a light coating of honey is applied to a porcelain dish and then the gold-leaf is imprinted on it so carefully that no crease or bubble appears. After this, it is thoroughly reduced to powder with the light movement of the fingers. Several gold-leaves are treated in this way, and if the fingers are unable to move, due to the stickiness of the honey, a few drops of water are sprinkled now and then. After the gold-leaves have been thoroughly reduced to powder, more water is added and the mixture is strained through a closely woven piece of cloth which is always stirred to avoid gold settling on the strainer. This process ensures that uncrushed particles do not remain in the fine gold-powder. This solution is then allowed to settle for fifteen hours. By that time, the gold-powder settles down at the bottom of the basin and then the water is drained off slowly. The mouth of the basin is then covered with a glass cover to avoid dust. The required quantity of gold-powder is taken from the vessel and used with the size as binding medium. The right proportion of the size is required, because if the size is in lesser quantity then the gold-powder does not stick to the painting; and if it is in greater quantity then the gold looses its lustre and cannot be burnished.