The art of water gilding with gold leaf and silver leaf onto the reverse side of glass using a gelatin adhesive. The gilt surface seen through the front of the glass gives a mirror like reflective finish. Decoration is etched into the leaf and use of different colored gold and/or paint creates beautiful designs. The glass is unfired but protected with varnish, paint or metal foil and occasionally sandwiched between two bits of glass. Examples of the technique date back from ancient Roman times, it was revived in the middle ages, then revived again by the 18th century French decorator Jean-Baptiste Glomy from whom the name is derived.