Traditional or Contemporary- Shopping Tips for Pure Gold Leaf

There are two different types of Pure Gold Leaf- “Enzuke”-Traditional Leaf and “Tachikiri” - Contemporary Leaf. They vary, not only in the producing methods but also in the feeling you get during handling and in the finish. Having quite different procedures and specialities, there are separate craftsmen for Enzuke and Tachikiri, passing down the skills and wisdom.

Difference in Appearance

Enzuke- Traditional Gold Leaf

Beaten in between Washi-paper, it has Washi mesh marks on its surface. Giving off the gentle scent of Japanese tradition.

Tachikiri- Contemporary Gold Leaf

Radical undulations from the centre appear when held up to the light. Characterised by its solid texture and sparkling lustre.

The results of the gilding vary depending on the base, glue or techniques of the gilders, however, given the same condition, Enzuke (Traditional) typically gives off the modest, gentle lustre while Tachikiri (Contemporary) effuses glorious shines.

Enzuke has been traditionally produced in Japan, so it has been used in many gilded folding screens, including worldly renowned Wind God and Thunder God Screens stored in Kenninji Temple, and Yatsuhashi zu Byobu (Folding Screen of Eight-Planked Bridge) stored in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. From the perspective of properly preserving and handing down cultural assets, Enzuke is often used for duplication of such renowned pieces.

About the Producing Methods

Both Enzuke and Tachikiri are produced through beating Uwazumi- thicker piece of pure gold foil- however, to briefly clarify the difference… we regard Enzuke as traditional craftwork and Tachikiri as the industrialized method for mass production.

Enzuke (Traditional)
Firstly, the foils are beaten in between the handmade Washi paper; traditionally made with the plants’ fibre, soaked in the lye and astringent persimmons. Then, the foils get cut into the standard sizes with a bamboo-made tool by hand. Later, they will be piled on the Washi paper. It has been called Enzuke -literally translated to, “Framed,” as the size of the Washi paper is slightly bigger than the gold leaf, which seems like the frame. This method has been handed down for more than 400 years. It involves some more complex steps, so we will talk about it some other times.

Tachikiri (Contemporary)
This method has become popular since the 1970s. Here, the foils are beaten in between glassine paper. Foils are piled in the unit of 1000 and cut altogether. The name, Tachikiri- literally means “cut off,” in Japanese, came from this step of wildly cutting the thick pile of foils.

Which would you choose?

With its affordable price, Tachikiri leaves, used widely, has shared the fascination of pure gold leaves with many people.
The contemporary leaves are much more handy in terms of the production method as well, and there have been few successors for the traditional leaves.
Feeling passionate about “handing down the traditional craftmanship” and “sharing the beauty of Japanese materials,” we hope to share the attractiveness of Enzuke Leaves with our customers.
We hope you enjoy picking the type of gold leaf that serves for your ideal finish or varied occasions and purposes.