Craft · No. 243
No. 243工芸材料・工芸用具
Kanazawa Gold Leaf
金沢箔
kanazawa gold leaf · 石川県
Kanazawa Gold Leaf is a traditional metallic foil craft material produced primarily in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. Renowned for its exceptional thinness and luminosity, it accounts for the overwhelming majority of Japan's domestic gold leaf production and is used in art, architecture, and decorative crafts.
- Origin
- 石川県
- Category
- 工芸材料・工芸用具
- Materials
- Gold · Silver · Copper
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
The history of gold leaf production in Kanazawa stretches back to the era of the Kaga Domain, when the ruling Maeda clan invited craftspeople from Kyo…
No. IIMaterials
The primary material is high-purity gold, to which trace amounts of silver and copper are alloyed to adjust hardness and hue. Platinum leaf, silver le…
No. IIITechniques
Production is broadly divided into rolling and beating stages. First, the gold alloy is rolled into a thin sheet in a process called haku-nobe. It is…
No. IVClimate
The Hokuriku region, including Kanazawa, experiences a Japan Sea climate characterized by high humidity and cool temperatures in winter. This consiste…
