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A metal leaf, also called composition leaf or schlagmetal, is a thin foil used for
File:goldleaf.jpg, 22k gold leaf applied with an ox hair brush during the process of
A metal leaf, also called composition leaf or schlagmetal, is a thin foil used for gilding
Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...
and other forms of decoration. Metal leaves can come in many different shades. Some metal leaves may look like gold leaf
Gold leaf is gold that has been hammered into thin sheets (usually around 0.1 µm thick) by goldbeating and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades. The most commonly used gold is 22-kara ...
but do not contain any real gold. This type of metal leaf is often referred to as imitation leaf.
Metal leaves are usually made of gold (including many alloys), silver, copper, aluminium, brass (sometimes called " Dutch metal" typically 85% Copper and 15% zinc) or palladium, sometimes also platinum.
Vark is a type of silver leaf used for decoration in Indian cuisine.
Goldbeating, the technique of producing metal leaves, has been known for more than 5,000 years. A small gold nugget 5 mm in diameter can be expanded to about 20,000 times its initial surface through hammering, producing a gold foil surface of about one half square meter with a thickness of 0.2–0.3 μm
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...
.
Nanjing gold leaf forging technique
History
This is a traditional handicraft in Nanjing, produced as early as the Three Kingdoms and Two Jin Dynasties; it was used in Buddha statue manufacturing and construction. It was widely used in the gilding of Buddha statues and idols and the construction industry during the Eastern Wu and Eastern Jin Dynasties. During the Qing Dynasty, (1640-1912) the technology developed, and Nanjing gold leaf was sold overseas. It retains traditional smelting, hand-beating and other techniques, and the gold leaf is pure, uniform and soft. On May 20, 2006, it was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative items. Modern gold leaf artists combine ancient traditional crafts with modern technology to make traditional gold leaf. Forging skills are more sophisticated.Nanjing Gold foil forging technology.
The gold foil production in Nanjing follows the ancient production process. The forging process has been tempered by more than a dozen processes such as gold bar, leaf beat, twisting, opening, assembly, issuing, and foil cutting. It is also called "playing gold leaf." According to the needs of different products, a proportion of silver and copper is added; the metal is then melted into liquid, poured into an iron tank and cooled to form gold bars, hammered into thin slices, cut into small gold pieces, and then covered with gold foil and hammered into gold foil repeatedly at high temperature.Gallery of gold leaf
gilding
Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...
File:Small gold nugget 5mm dia and corresponding foil surface of half sq meter.jpg, A 5 mm gold nugget beaten to a one half square meter square of foil
File:burnishing.jpg, Burnishing gold leaf with an agate stone tool during the water gilding process
See also
* Professional Picture Framers AssociationReferences
{{reflist Gold Visual arts materials