You can't miss them: the gilded letters “Wester-Amstel” at the top of our gate. They have been our calling card since 1760, when the original wooden gate was replaced by the current Rococo gate. Her sister, “Over-Amstel”, can be found in the garden of the Rijksmuseum, without golden letters.
Our sparkling calling card gets its special glow from the gold leaf that has been applied with excruciating patience to the cast-iron letters beneath. This involves varnishing, patinating, and heaven-knows-what-else. But nothing lasts forever, and that includes Wester-Amstel’s golden letters. Thanks to the elements, wind and rain, of which the Netherlands has plenty, the gilding wears down over time. On average, the letters need to be regilded once every generation. By that time, the 0.0001 mm-thick layer of gold has largely disappeared, and the black cast iron underneath begins to show through again.
Het levert iedere keer gedoe op. Niet alleen kost het letterlijk goud, ook is het vinden van een bekwame vakman een uitdaging. De vraag naar dit soort werk is – laten we zeggen – niet uitbundig. En eenmaal gevonden is de kans klein dat een vakman in een paar decennia weer beschikbaar is.
The Lissone family’s 125-year anniversary at Wester-Amstel provided the push we needed to take on this challenge again. Luckily, with the help of our regular house painter, we were able to find a true gilding artist - Martijn Krabman. Het Parool even devoted a two-page article to him. And with a bit of luck, we’ll be able to enlist his help again in thirty years’ time. You can read the article about Krabman Signs here.
By: Søren Ludvig Movig