Gilt Furniture

To gild something is literally to make it appear gold, and gilding as a technique involves the application of a thin coating of gold to a surface. Gilt furniture refers to pieces produced using any of several techniques, from the application of gold leaf or gold paint to a surface, to the use of chemical processes to produce a golden patina (such as in ormolu or bronze doré).

Gilt furniture became popular during the Baroque, when dramatic and vibrant colour was an important stylistic attribute. Gilding remained a popular decorative technique and aesthetic style during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when gilt bronze, particularly gilt bronze mounts, was prized as a symbol of luxury and excellence. Gilt furniture retains these connotations to this day, as demonstrated by Mayfair Gallery’s extensive collection of antique gilt furniture visible below.

See our full collection of antique furniture.