Giusto Manetti Firenze · Since 1820
Manetti Type S
Bole Paste
The Florentine clay ground that gives water-gilded surfaces their depth, their warmth, and a true mirror burnish.
Now available in the United States for the first time — through Easy Leaf Products for Gilders.
For the first time, the bole that professional gilders in Europe consider a reference is available to American workshops. Easy Leaf Products for Gilders is the first in the United States to carry Manetti's Type S Bole.
The Material
A Ground Worthy of the Leaf It Carries
A reference among professional gilders, Type S Bole is a clay-based ground for water gilding on wooden supports prepared with gesso. It lays down a uniform, compact, and polishable layer that holds the metal leaf cleanly, deepens the burnish, and lends the applied gold a warmth and chromatic depth that no shortcut can imitate. Its refined mineral composition and controlled granulometry produce smooth, dense surfaces — the foundation of truly high-quality decorative finishes.
Benefits
Built for the Way You Work
A Deeper, Brighter Burnish
Controlled granulometry creates a dense, even ground that polishes to a true mirror finish.
Dependable Leaf Adhesion
The compact surface grips gold and silver leaf cleanly — fewer faults, less waste, more confidence.
Warmth & Chromatic Depth
The natural clay base enriches the tone of the applied metal, the hallmark of fine traditional gilding.
Smooth, Consistent Workability
A refined mineral composition spreads evenly under the brush for predictable, repeatable results.
Heritage
Made in Florence. Trusted for Two Centuries.
Type S Bole is made by Giusto Manetti Firenze, gilding's most enduring name since 1820. For over two hundred years, Manetti has supplied the gold and the materials behind some of the world's most important gilded work. Type S Bole carries that same standard — a ground formulated for gilders who measure their craft in reflections.
The Conversion · 1 kg · $105.00
Choose Your Bole Color
The bole beneath the leaf shapes the final character of the gold — its warmth, its depth, and how it reads where the leaf wears fine. Choose the ground that suits your work.
Red
RossoThe classic. A warm, traditional undertone that glows through gold leaf — the choice behind centuries of fine gilding.
Yellow
GialloA bright, luminous ground that keeps gold leaf light and radiant, and keeps small gaps discreet.
Black
NeroFor depth and contrast, lending applied metal a cooler, more dramatic register.
White
BiancoA neutral base for the most controlled, even tone — and for lighter or white-gold finishes.
Method
How to Work With Type S Bole
Type S Bole is binder-free by design — you activate it with a protein glue, traditionally rabbit-skin glue, which gives you full control over consistency and performance.
At the bench · Yellow bole, prepared and laid
- 01
Prepare the surface.
Work on clean, dry, smooth gessoed wood, free of dust, impurities, and surface irregularities.
- 02
Mix the bole.
Combine roughly 45 g of bole with 90–95 g of water and 2–3% rabbit-skin glue. A higher-bloom glue needs less; a lower-bloom glue needs more. Adjust to your desired consistency.
- 03
Apply in thin, even layers.
Brush on a continuous, controlled coat for a regular surface.
- 04
Lay the leaf while damp.
Apply the metal leaf while the bole is still sufficiently moist for proper adhesion.
- 05
Dry and burnish.
The bole typically dries in about two hours, depending on layer thickness and conditions. Then finish and burnish.
Always run a test under your own conditions first. Dilution, application method, and quantity all affect working time and the final result.
About
Six Decades of Serving Gilders
Easy Leaf Products has served professional gilders and artisans for over sixty years. Through long-standing relationships with the most reputable European manufacturers, we've built one of the most comprehensive selections of genuine and imitation leaf, bole, and gilding supplies in the industry — and the expertise to stand behind every product we carry.
Questions
Frequently Asked
Bring Florence to Your Workbench
Type S Bole is now available in the United States, exclusively through Neuberg & Neuberg and Easy Leaf Products. The ground European gilders rely on is ready for yours.
Questions about your project? Talk to our gilding specialists.