Kanazawa Gold Leaf
MetalworkHokuriku
National Traditional Craft
Price range
¥500 ~ ¥50,000
Over 99% of Japan's gold leaf is produced in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.
Kanazawa gold leaf (kinpaku) production in Ishikawa Prefecture accounts for over 99% of all gold leaf made in Japan. The craft of hammering gold into sheets as thin as 1/10,000th of a millimeter has flourished in Kanazawa since the late 16th century, aided by the city's humid climate which prevents the ultra-thin sheets from cracking. Gold leaf is applied to Buddhist altars, temple decorations, lacquerware, ceramics, and increasingly to contemporary art and cuisine.
Materials
Gold, silver, copper alloy
Techniques
Repeated hammering and cutting