THE GOLD LEAF. Discover the magic of this prestigious Italian technique. Golden tones play a central role in the aesthetics of interior design, bringing new light by multiplying the warmer tones and attenuating the colder ones.
A brief history of an ancient craft
Gold was one of the first metals to be used by men. Famous for being both indestructible and malleable, its craft dates back from ancient times.
A particular type of craft developed in the 11th Century in Venice, at a time when the city saw the first craftsmen’s corporations appear, the Scuole. One of them was the goldbeaters’ Scuole.
The goldbeater was a goldsmith who, with the help of a large hammer, used to “beat” precious metals, turning them into the finest sheets, the gold leaves. They would do so by inserting a gold ribbon between two layers of animal skin, and beating it all with energy, precision and expertise, creating gold leaves as thin as a veil.
Technique
Chiara Pecorelli works with Venetian workshops that perpetuate the traditional technique, a blend of secular know-how, patience and precision.
Each stage involved in the transformation of gold to a gold sheet is both different and fascinating.
First, the metal is heated up at 1000°C. The gold is brought to a liquid state, which enables the goldsmith to pour it into a mould in the shape of a gold bar.
The bar is then flattened and turned into a thin foil. This is called “lamination”.
Each strip is then overlaid and carefully placed between the pages of a book. The book in turn is then pounded with short and precise blows that hit each time a different point. This is when the goldbeater reveals great mastery in their technique : the leaves obtained are as thin as 0.3 to 0.4 microns.
Finally, the leaves are hand-cut and placed in a bespoke cases.
Gold leaf today
Each creation is unique and distinct. Small imperfections and minutiae of details are the true trademark of handmade craftsmanship, the famous “Made in Italy”.
Today, contemporary interior design provides new applications for the use of gold. Refined and timeless, gold leaves are perfectly suited to modern spaces ; they infuse the room with a brighter light and create an elegant and unique reflection.
Whether to decorate stucco, an old mirror leaning on top of an elegant Haussmann-style mantelpiece, layered underneath your bathroom’s resin tiles, or used as prime material in your kitchen, gold leaves will bring life to your interior, providing delicate, bold and outstanding refinery and personality.
Works featuring this technique
