Horse Hair Cloth

Horse hair cloth is a mildly abrasive polishing cloth made from natural horsehair, used in the preparation stage of traditional water gilding. It is designed to gently smooth and refine the surface of dry bole or Kölner burnishing clay prior to the application of metal leaf.

By lightly polishing the prepared clay surface, horsehair cloth helps create a more uniform base for gilding while maintaining the integrity of the bole layer. This step improves the final appearance of the gilded surface and supports a clean, consistent burnish.