Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 12. (Budapest, 1992)
LOVAY Zsuzsanna: Jelzett XVIII. századi dél-német brokát-és bronzfirnisz-papírok az Iparművészeti Múzeum gyűjteményében
ZSUZSANNA LOVAY MARKED EIGHTEENTH CENTURY BROCADED AND BRONZE VARNISHED PAPERS FROM SOUTH GERMANY IN THE COLLECTION OF THE BUDAPEST MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS The coloured and gilt papers of the eighteenth century can be grouped into two major categories according to die applied technique: brocaded and bronze varnished papers. The delicacy of brocaded papers are due to die engraved copper plates which were pressed upon the mono- or polychrome shaded paper through a copper, brass, tin or lead foil. The technique was originally used for gilding bookplates. Apart from etched copper stamping blocks for bookbinding, plate-stamps were becoming popular in South Germany, expediting the gilding of large surfaces. In textile printing, the use of engraved copper plates appeared first in die seventeenth century and became widespread from the middle of the eighteenth century onwards. The quality of brocaded papers was continuously weakening-the final decline arrived widi the first few years of die nineteenth century, when rough wooden plates were used instead of the copper plates and the detailed, fine drawings became faded and blurred. Quite often a polychrome-stcncillcdbackground was used for making brocaded papers. The technique was far from being new: it had already been used as a way of painting since 1600 by writers, letter painters, devotional picture makers and engravers. In the case of brocaded papers, a waxed paper model was cut for each colour, lain over the prepared paper and brushed over widi the chosencolour. The process was repeated four or five times, thus die background ready for gilding represented die variants of green, blue, yellow, orange and pink. The technique of die bronze varnished paper is similar to relief printing with a simple woodcut. The roots of woodcutting lie in textile printing-we may find polychrome printed and gilt woodcuts already in the first decades of the sixteenth century. The vamish-glue mixed with bronze dustwas stamped with wooden plates over die coloured background. The printing blocks were made of lime, pear or fir-tree, equipped widi metal nails or stripes to create more precise outlines in case of detailed patterns. Originally, the same blocks were used both for textile and paper printing. 1 With diis technique, the result was a smooth paper-as opposed to die relief-type brocaded paper-, which was neitiier long lasting nor delicate enough, yet it was much cheaper. There were sharp debates and law suits over the priority concerning the invention
