The gilding on my vases is superb and matches the gilding on the vase he gave to his daughter. The gilding on the probable Stuart vase in the Bristol museum is also superb, and I have no reason so far, to think he didn't gild them himself.
Reading the pages 322-327 in Charles Hadamach's British Glass 1800-1914 there is no evidence to suggest M. Barbe did not do the gilding and enamelling himself. On the contrary, there is more evidence to support that he did, within those pages.
Prior to 1901 he was working for Thomas Webb with his son, and I believe iirc there was a decorating department.
After that he set up independently and I have not read anything to suggest he had people working with him. Indeed the an article within those pages suggests that gilding and enamelling had fallen out of favour.
And a brief exerpt from
from that article written in 1905 printed in the book-
'It is true that gilding and painting was well known in this country when M. Jules Barbe settled down (my words - he arrived in 1879), but for reasons which it is difficult to find out this kind of decorative art was gradually dropped by those manufacturers in whose works it was done, and M. J. Barbe is now the only representative of it in this district, and of this particular line in the country'.
It actually makes a point within the article of saying that he sketched all the designs himself.
I can't imagine that all he did was sketch the designs and mix the paste.
He also gave the vase to his daughter. Of course I suppose it could have been by anyone, but I think the fact he gave it to her implies it was his work.
m
edited to add:
On my vase, the vase at the Bristol blue glass ite and Adam P's vase, and the vase on page 53 in the book, the vase given to his daughter, the roses and leaves but particularly the roses are all gilded in as specific way, the same way.
A link to Adam P's vase that I also believe is by Barbe. Adam is hoping to add more pics as the only one visible is the pic of the foot now.
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,5758.msg48891.html#msg48891m