BRASS-COLOUR, one prepared by the braziers and colour-men to imitate brass. There are two sorts of it; the red brass, or bronze, and the yellow or gilt brass: the latter is made only of copper-filings, the smallest and brightest that can be found; with the former they mix some red ochre, finely pulverized; they are both used with varnish.—In order to make a fine brass that will not take any rust or verdigrise, it must be dried with a chafing-dish of coals as soon as it is applied.—The finest brass colour is made with powder-brass imported from Germany, diluted into a varnish, made and used after the following manner. The varnish is composed of one pound four ounces of spirit of wine, two ounces of gum-lac, and two ounces of sandarac; these two last drugs are pulverized separately, and afterwards put to dissolve in spirit of wine, taking care to fill the bottle but half full. The varnish being made, you mix such quantity as you please of it with the pulverized brass, and apply it with a small brush to what you would brass over. But you must not mix too much at once, because the varnish being very apt to dry, you would not have time to employ it all soon enough; it is therefore better to make the mixture at several times. After this manner they brass over figures of plaster, which look as well as if they were of cast brass.