Divolo ready-prepared gilding bole with rabbit glue, 300 or 700 ml

Prepare a smooth, burnishable ground for traditional water gilding with Divolo Bolo Pronto. This fine Armenian clay already contains rabbit-skin glue and forms the layer beneath gold or silver leaf on a suitably prepared frame or icon. There is no need to mix separate glue into the clay, but the working portion needs warming before application.

Choose the size and colour

You receive one 300 or 700 ml jar in yellow ochre, red or black. The ground colour can remain visible through gaps and at edges. Compare small trial areas with the same metal leaf before choosing the final colour. This is a ground for water gilding, rather than an acrylic ground for gilding with size. Use imitation leaf only after a trial with your chosen system.

Warm and apply in successive layers

Take a working portion from the jar and warm it in a water bath until fluid enough to brush. Do not heat the product pan directly over a flame, as this can damage the glue. Stir well and apply the bole while lukewarm to a suitably prepared surface. Build at least three coats, letting each dry. Allow roughly half an hour per coat at about 20 °C; a humid room may require an hour. Check actual dryness rather than relying only on the clock.

Dampen, lay the leaf and burnish

Let the final coat dry thoroughly, remove imperfections with very fine abrasive paper and polish the bole with an agate burnisher. Lightly dampen a small area with water, then lay the leaf immediately onto that damp patch. Work in small sections; pooling water or repeated wetting can soften the ground too much.

If adhesion is insufficient after sanding and polishing, first try a light brushful of guazzo on a test area: approximately one part rabbit glue to ten parts water. Do not routinely add extra glue to the whole jar. Once the gilding is dry, suitable gold leaf can be polished with an agate burnisher to the desired sheen. Try a small area first. Clean tools with warm water and neutral soap.

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