Abstract

The use of gold for gilding objects in ancient South America is reviewed in details. The principal methods of gilding included foil gilding, fusion gilding, use of gold foil, most of the technologies that evolved in pre-Hispanic South America have no Old World equivalent. Examples are given of each technique and the evidence that has been accumulated to date for regional and cultural preferences is briefly described. The examination of ancient gilt surfaces and associated materials such as pigments, textile impressions, or burial deposits on the surface are important and should be studied carefully before conservation treatment. The difficulties of interpretation of gilding technology in the absence of metallographic examination are evident from the variety of methods used in the pre-Hispanic period.