Gilding of LEATHER. Take glair of the whites of eggs, or gum water, and with a brush rub over the leather with either of them; then lay on the gold or silver, and, letting them dry, burnish them. See the articles GILDING and BURNISHING.
To dress or cover LEATHER with Silver or Gold. Take brown-red; grind or move it on a stone with a muller, adding water and chalk; and when the latter is dissolved, rub or lightly daub the leather over with it, till it looks a little whitish; and then lay on the leaf-silver or gold before the leather is quite dry, laying the leaves a little over each other, that there may not be the least part uncovered; and when they have well closed with the leather, and are sufficiently dried on and hardened, rub them over with an ivory polisher, or the foretooth of a horse.