[FILM] The Craftsmanship behind Japanese Gold Leaf

This video captures the early stage in gold leaf beating - even before the foils are classified into Traditional or Contemporary .

The production of gold leaf starts with melting chunks of gold, silver, and copper and mixing into alloy.

Putting the designated portions of metals in the carbon-made bowls and placing the bowl in the oven of 1200-1300℃, the metals turn into very hot liquid.

Cooled down to be solid, the alloy bar is pressed by the rollers for 20 times, until its thickness is approx. 1/50㎜. 

Then the thin bars are cut into 6㎠, called "Koppe," literally the small ones. 

This Koppe are eventually beaten into "Uwazumi" over five processes of beating and cutting. 

Koppe: 6 ㎠

→Aragane (荒金) … Koppe (6㎠)beaten into 12㎠

→Koju (小重)...Aragane (12㎠) cut into four pieces and then each piece beaten into 20㎠.

→Ohju（大重）…Koju (20㎠) cut into four pieces and then further beaten.

→Kesho (make-up) beating (化粧打ち) …Ohju placed in between papers and beaten into 3/1000㎜ in thickness. 

→Uwazumi (上澄), finished. 

Uwazumi, the thicker foils that are crafts supply themself, are resistant to high temperature and recommended for glass or ceramic makings. 

The Uwazumi foils with the size of 20㎠ are available only in the Japanese market.

Beating, cutting, and beating; Even just beating the metals into "thicker foils" requires such an effort, with the outstanding experiences and techniques of craftsmen handed down over the generations.

Then, the Uwazumi foils are passed to the craftsmen of either traditional or contemporary leaves, where foils are beaten into 1/10000㎜ in thickness.

(Their studios will be introduced soon. Please stay tuned!)