A) What is gilding? By gilding we refer to the ancient and traditional technique of burnished water-gilding as employed by the Egyptians (3000 A.D.), the Phoenicians and the Chinese. During the Byzantine era, burnished water-gilding flourishes. The Byzantines used it on Byzantine icons.

B) Gilding in Cyprus. During the Venetian rule (1489-1571), gilding on wood-carvings evolved on the island. We come across the “Cypriot School”, where we identify Byzantine prototypes and Italian Renaissance, e.g. St. Neophytus (1544), Panagia Katholiki (16th century), Panagia Podithou (1502), in Kourdali (beginning of the 16th century), and a number of other iconostases.

(Pages from the book: «Η Τεχνική του Στιλβωτού»)