Before 1776 French gilt-bronze was produced by one of two guilds, either fondeurs-ciseleurs, or casters and chasers, and the ciseleurs-doreurs, or chasers and gilders. The bronze was cast through a process known as the “lost wax” process, and then worked by the chaser to create burnished ares with different textures and finishes, such as pounced or grained surfaces. The surface would be coated in a mixture of ground gold and mercury and then be heated, allowing for the gold to adhere to the surface while the mercury evaporated. For more information, see the Getty Museum’s explanatory video or this Virtual Enlightenment page on the materials and makers of gilt-bronze.
To find out more about the materials that make up gilt-bronze click below:
GIF showing the Oeben desk and its gilt-bronze mounts in isolation by Esther Moerdler