Gilded and silvered ostrich feathers are but seldom in demand, and then
only for grand evening dresses or stage effects, and for short seasons,
which generally return far between. Their production is by no means a
dyeing process, but rather an operation of surface ornamentation, still
the dyer is sometimes requested to perform it. While goose feathers
and other feathers of small value are wholly gilded or silvered, the
gilding of ostrich feathers consists chiefly in a sprinkling with
metallic dots, or sometimes in an edging, or is only applied to the tip
of the feathers, which, from the nature of the operation, are treated
singly. Such ornamented feathers, white as well as dyed, being only
used for short periods, a permanent fixation of the gold or silver upon
them is not required, but rather undesirable, as they will soon be
redyed for other uses.
For gilding, respectively silvering, a sufficiently adhesive solution
of possibly colorless gum arabic is prepared and distributed by hand,
and by means of a fine hair-brush, in smaller or larger dots, as
required, over the upper side of the feather or along the edges, and
before the gum solution becomes dry, sprinkled over with finely divided
gold-leaf or silver-leaf. The feather is then turned over, given a
few light taps with the hand to remove the loose dust of metal, and
vigorously shaken, partly to prevent the fibres from sticking together,
partly to remove the remaining loosely adhering particles of metal.
The operation must be performed as rapidly as possible to prevent the
gum solution from drying before the metallic dust is shaken off. The
smaller the gum-dots are made, the quicker must the work be done, but
the less is the danger of the fibres being pasted together, and the
more elegant the appearance of the feather. The dots or spangles are
made of different shapes, in little circles or squares, and sometimes
arranged so as to form angular designs, according to taste and skill of
the operator.
Another very pretty, scarcely more permanent, but more frequently
applied ornamentation of ostrich feathers, is the following.