Gold leaf examples

Item

Identifier

2025.120

Title

Gold leaf examples

Description

Sheets of gold that have been hammered or rolled very thin (typically around 0.1 micrometer, or 4 millionths of an inch, thick). In art, gold leaf has been applied to paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, and decorative arts since around 1500 BCE. In the 1920s, the process of creating gold leaf was successfully automated.

Medium

Metal

Subject

metal; metals; gilding

Storage location

Samples cabinet, miscellaneous drawer

Copyright statement

These images are posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses may not be permitted.

Item sets