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Ammannitura Divolo Firenze - Bologna Gesso and Rabbit Skin Glue for Traditional Priming
Ammannitura Divolo Firenze - Bologna Gesso and Rabbit Skin Glue for Traditional Priming
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€19,90 EUR
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€31,73 EUR
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Ammannitura Divolo Firenze — the traditional ground of Bologna gesso and rabbit skin glue, ready-proportioned
Ammannitura is a water-based preparation made from Bologna gesso and rabbit skin glue (rabbit hide glue), the traditional route to the ground: the white layer applied to the support before gilding or painting. It does not come ready to use — the jar is heated in a water bath, without letting the water come to a boil, until it becomes fluid enough for the brush, and it is applied warm. 700 ml jar.
What is it used for?
- Base for receiving the metal leaf in the gilding technique — preparing an ideal base on the support to seat the leaf.
- Preparation of supports for painting: canvas and wooden panel — the two supports the manufacturer names.
- Achieving a more even application of colour over that prepared base.
- Protecting the support from the agents contained in the colours, according to the manufacturer's own catalogue.
Why choose the Divolo Firenze Ammannitura?
- The proportion of gesso to glue is set by the manufacturer. It is bought as a mass already made up of Bologna gesso and rabbit skin glue: the ratio between filler and binder is decided at the factory, not in the studio. Anyone who wants to decide it themselves, layer by layer, has to start from the separate components.
- Application data published by the manufacturer: up to 5 or 6 coats, about 40 minutes' drying time per coat at 20 °C in a dry environment (varying according to the thickness applied), 24 hours' wait before sanding, and 120-180 grit abrasive paper.
- The manufacturer presents it as a base for receiving metal leaf in the gilding technique, as well as a preparation for canvas and wooden panel for painting.
- It thins and cleans with water: it is adjusted with water while heating in the water bath, and brushes are washed with hot water and soap as soon as you finish.
- Identified manufacturer: Divolo Firenze (COBEA S.r.l. —"società a responsabilità limitata", the Italian limited company—, Montepulciano Scalo, Siena).
How to apply it
- Heat the jar in a water bath, taking care that the water does not come to a boil, until you get a mass fluid enough to apply with a brush.
- Apply warm, and keep it warm through every coat. The first coat, thin or diluted with water; the water is added during heating, not cold.
- Repeat the process: up to 5 or 6 coats may be needed. Each layer dries in about 40 minutes at 20 °C in a dry environment, and the manufacturer warns that this time varies according to the thickness applied.
- Wait 24 hours from the last coat and then sand with 120-180 grit abrasive paper to remove imperfections.
- Clean brushes with hot water and soap immediately after use.
Presentation and storage
- Presentation: 700 ml jar. The manufacturer also produces it in 300 ml.
- Appearance: dense and compact, white in colour.
- Smell: sweetish, the smell characteristic of rabbit skin glue, as described by the manufacturer.
- Storage conditions and shelf life: not published by the manufacturer.
Divolo Firenze — COBEA S.r.l., Montepulciano Scalo (Siena).
The limits, stated
- Not applied cold — it must be heated in a water bath until it flows for the brush, and applied warm through every coat.
- The water bath is not boiled — it is heated taking care that the water does not reach boiling point.
- Not sanded before 24 hours from the last coat; after those 24 hours, it is sanded with 120-180 grit.
- For burnished water gilding, the ground is not enough on its own — in the traditional technique, the bole goes over the ground, the metal leaf over the bole, and burnishing is done afterwards with an agate stone. This is how Ana Carrassón (Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España) describes it for wooden altarpieces.
- Supports: the ones the manufacturer names are canvas and wooden panel, as well as its use as a base for metal leaf. Any other support falls outside what the manufacturer endorses; for those cases, ask us before buying.
- Drying depends on thickness — the manufacturer gives about 40 minutes per coat at 20 °C in a dry environment, and warns that it varies according to the thickness applied.
From the same technique: the Divolo Bólex gilding bole 300 ml, yellow ochre is Divolo's ready-to-use bole, and the imitation gold leaf 14×14 cm, pack of 25 complete the process. If you'd rather decide the glue concentration yourself, layer by layer, we have Divolo rabbit skin glue sold separately, in 125 ml, 750 ml and 25 kg.
Frequently asked questions
Does it come ready to use?
No. The jar must be heated in a water bath, without letting the water come to a boil, until the mass becomes fluid enough to apply with a brush, and it is applied warm. It is kept warm through every coat.
How many coats are needed, and how long does each take to dry?
The manufacturer states that up to 5 or 6 coats may be needed, the first thin or diluted with water. Each layer dries in about 40 minutes at 20 °C in a dry environment, and the manufacturer itself warns that this time varies according to the thickness applied.
When can I sand it, and with what grit?
At 24 hours from the last coat, not before. It is sanded with 120-180 grit abrasive paper to remove imperfections.
Can it be thinned? And how do I clean the brushes?
It thins with water, and the manufacturer specifies that this is done while heating in the water bath, not cold. Brushes are cleaned with hot water and soap immediately after use.
Which supports does the manufacturer endorse it for?
Canvas and wooden panel, as well as its use as a base for receiving metal leaf in the gilding technique. The manufacturer names no other support, so no other is endorsed. If your case is different, write to us before buying.
Is it suitable for water gilding and burnishing?
It is the base of the process, but it is not enough on its own. In the traditional water gilding technique, the bole goes over the ground, the metal leaf is applied over the bole while the surface is still wet, and burnishing is done afterwards with an agate stone. Ana Carrassón (Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España) describes the sequence this way; the manufacturer describes that same burnishing with an agate stone in the instructions for its own bole.
What does it smell like, and is that normal?
Sweetish. It is the smell characteristic of rabbit skin glue, and this is how the manufacturer describes it: a dense, compact, white product with a sweetish smell.
What size is shipped?
700 ml. The manufacturer also produces it in 300 ml, but the size we supply is 700 ml.
Have any questions? Write to us on WhatsApp, visit innovart.art or email us at info@innovart.art and we will advise you.
