Making Gold Leaf
Extremely thin, supple, and large sheets of gold leaf,
pure in color,
are used to adorn lacquerware vessels,
and also in building conservation and restoration
Society for
the Conservation
of Traditional Kanazawa Gold Leaf
Techniques
Designated in 2014
Cooperative Association for the Leaf Trade Industry of Ishikawa Prefecture Hall,
Fukuhisamachi Ro-172, Kanazawa-city, 920-3122 Ishikawa Prefecture
Gold leaf is traditionally made by beating the stretched gold between sheets of washi paper to a thickness of 1/10,000th of a millimeter. The leaf so produced is then cut sheet by sheet on a leather board, and placed between sheets of handmade paper for safe keeping. The finished leaf is extraordinarily thin, brilliant, and pure in color, an essential element in both intangible craft techniques and the conservation and restoration of tangible cultural assets.
