Period Picture Frames

Our Italian period picture frames are carved and gilt on wood. This Bolognese late 16th-century Cassetta frame is available in any size. Therefore you can fit it with any painting. 

Properties 

This period frame is made of lime, ayous, and tulipwood combined together. We use lime and ayous for the front side, while we use tulipwood for the backside of the frame. As a result, we obtain the maximum strength with the minimum weight.

You can customize the rabbet width as you prefer. For instance, if you need to cover a bigger part of the painting you can ask to enlarge it. The rabbet depth instead, depends on the thickness of the painting. In most of our models, it is something between 1.5 to 4 cm. Sometimes even deeper due to structural reasons or under request.

Section width cm 10.5
Rabbet cm 1

Decorations of Period Picture Frames

The carving is handmade and it is partially made on wood and partially made of wood pulp to lower the price. See the carving on wood in the following Youtube video: woodcarving by hand

The decoration on the flat surface is also handmade. Our gilder uses a special kind of nail to realize the punching work. Just for your own understanding, we show below the technique made on our cod. 033

Patina (aging process)

“Patina” is an Italian word that refers to how dark and old looks the frame. Apart from dark gold, the age of a frame is determined by a few cracks and tiny broken parts all around the sides. For this purpose, our gilder hits its surfaces with some kinds of stones.

Also, the wormholes are simulated as well, and you will be able to notice them by analyzing deeply the pictures above. The presence of wormholes does not indicate activity within or a recent flight of beetles. Remember that they were faked by us to specifically age the frame.

See below a video showing all the steps of the Patina.

More videos related to the aging process 

Explanation of the aging process
Distressing the gold surface
Rub off the gilding
Dark shellac
Applying shellac
Final result