Glossary

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  • Term
    Definition
  • The board that covers and protects the front of the text block.
  • A slender unadorned frame profile that has a flat narrow face. Also often referred to as a flat stem frame or profile.
  • A style of wrapping a canvas onto a stretcher where the staples or tacks on placed on the back of the stretcher to create a clean appearance on the sides.
  • A moisture resistant laminated board with a dense foam core.
  • A traditional support composed of calcium carbonate, hide glue and water. Often built up over several layers prior to the additional of a clay bole and gold leaf.
  • The process of applying gold leaf to a surface.
  • Covered by gold or a gold finish.
  • A protective transparent material used in framing, such as glass, polycarbonate and acrylic sheeting.
  • Available in a variety of karats ranging from 18k-24k. The addition of other metal alloys, such as copper, palladium, and silver affects the karat and tonality of the leaf. Traditionally old leaf is applied in thin sheets onto a solid surface to create the appearance of solid gold.
  • Physical damage to a support or media that appears as a small sharp impression, that is often resultant from a sudden impact from a sharp or crisp edge.
  • (1648-1721) English sculptor and master carver who is known for his exquisitely detailed floral garlands and still lifes carved from lime wood.
  • An architectural and frame design that involves a repetitive pattern of interlaced circular bands.
  • Small creases that appear in paper supports that are often crescent shaped that have usually resulted from improper handling.
  • The top of the book.
  • The top edge of the spine.
  • American frame design, popular in the 2nd quarter of the 19th century, commonly characterized with the presence of a flat profile and corner blocks.
  • A piece of Japanese paper used to attach a paper artifact to a mount in such a way that a portion of the hinge is adhered to the back edge of the artifact, while the remaining portion of the hinge is adhered to the surface of the mount. Typically used with wheat paste or a methyl cellulose(...)
  • A paper that is extremely smooth with very little surface texture. Often used as a support for watercolor paintings, as well as archival digital printing.
  • Controlled application of moisture to relax distortion within works on paper.
  • A finished corner frame maker that was founded in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois that specializes in finished corner frames.
  • The state of a material to absorb and retain moisture, generally in relation to humidity.
  • A foreign material included within a paper support or other support layer, generally added inadvertently during the time of manufacture or original preparation.
  • A condition existing in something as a permanent or characteristic attribute.
  • The tendency in an object to deteriorate because of the fundamental instability of the components of which it is made of.
  • Pieces of wood, metal, stone, mother-of-pearl, ivory, bone, etc that are set into a surface of a piece to create a decorative pattern. Usually all at the same level.
  • A conservation technique in which areas of loss in the media are meticulously compensated so that there is no overlap of the compensation and the adjacent original paint layer. Inpainting is reversible and undertaken in a different medium than the original.
  • The stylized rendition or an influence of a classic element into a new concept or design.
  • A rounded corner lacquer frame with a sculptural, contrasting gilded ornament at each corner.
  • An Asian inspired frame design featuring rounded, "m" shaped corners. Uniquely peaking in the middle of the apex at the joint.
  • Long fibered Asian paper that is strong and durable, used for archival hinging and conservation treatments.
  • Thin lines present in laid paper created by the thin wires present in the paper mould/screen.
  • A paper that has an overall watermark of a grid pattern of intersecting wire marks from the screen on which the paper was made. This was the predominant paper used until the early 19th century.
  • A decorative pattern often adorning the sight edge or exterior edge of a profile that involves a tapered tongue shaped design.
  • A Chicago firm that is a full service fine-art digital house offering services ranging from film scanning, fine art printing, mounting and face mounting to acrylic. They provide services to clients, artists, galleries, frame shops, museums and corporate clientele.
  • Lines created with the overlap of sheets of gold leaf on a surface. Often used as a design element.
  • Ornamental relief design depicting laurel leaves and berries, sometimes accompanied with decorative straps.
  • Two design elements that create an alternating pattern that commonly adorn the site edge, or outer edge of a profile.
  • The individual bound sheets or pages within a textblock.
  • 18k Gold leaf that is composed of 75% Gold and 25% Silver. Often used for gilding decorative picture frames. The 25% silver content gives the leaf it’s a cooler slightly green appearance.
  • Frame moulding that is mass produced and finished in lengths. It is then cut down to the desired size and then joined. The mitres are visible at all corners. The majority of custom frame shops fabricate their frames in this manner.
  • Fade-resistant to UV rays present in sunlight. Refers to the pigments and dyes present in artist's materials, paper, matboards and fabric.
  • An organic substance found in plant and wood matter. Considered impure matter in paper pulp. Causes discoloration over time when contained in paper supports and mat board.
  • A frame molding used within the outer molding/frame. The liner may be covered with fabric, gilded or painted. The liner serves the same purpose as a mat: to enhance the artwork, as well as provide a visual space between the art and the frame.
  • The inner edge of the picture frame rabbet, under the face of the frame. The lip conceals the rabbet and provides an extension that keeps the artwork from simply falling through the front of the frame.
  • The natural edge of the wood that is incorporated in the furniture design.
  • A trademark name for clear acrylic glazing.
  • The addition of shaped pieces of veneer to create a decorative image, pattern or design.
  • A localized stain and degradation of the support, usually on paper, caused by contact with an acidic mat board.
  • Popular in the mid-19th century, it is the practice of a burnished silver leaf with a pigmented varnish to have the appearance of gold leaf.
  • A thin, transparent film made from polymers, also called "polyester film". Mylar picture corners are often used in conservation/archival picture framing because they cannot be easily seen, and do not require permanently affixing the artwork to a backing.

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