Kirikane

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Kirikane works at the Kyoto State Guest House by Living National Treasure Eri Sayoko
Kirikane works at the Kyoto State Guest House by Eri Sayoko
Kirikane tools

Kirikane (截金) is a Japanese decorative technique used for Buddhist statues and paintings, using gold leaf, silver leaf, or platinum leaf cut into lines, diamonds, and triangles.

History[edit]

Kirikane was imported from China during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The oldest example is Tamamushi Shrine at Hōryū-ji. Kirikane flourished primarily in the 11th century and continued until the 13th or 14th century. After that, however, kirikane almost disappeared, due to the overall decline of Buddhist art.

Technique[edit]

Two pieces of leaf (gold or silver, platinum) are heated over an ash-banked fire and bonded together. An additional bonding is then done to further strengthen the leaf and add thickness. Next, the bonded leaf is cut with a bamboo knife on a deer-skin-covered table, then affixed with glue (seaweed glue, funori and hide glue, nikawa, etc.) to the object to be decorated.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

  • Sayoko Eri Kirikane World -Brilliance and Romance of Gold Leaf - ISBNISBN 4-915857-59-X

External links[edit]

Media related to Kirikane at Wikimedia Commons