Origin
Ground gold combined with gum; recipes vary.
Properties
- Brushable
- Can be burnished
- Expensive
Preparation
Grind, mix with binder and paint thin lines or fills.
Care & preservation
Handle pages by the margins and keep them flat.
General guidance only. For valuable or fragile pieces, consult a qualified conservator before cleaning or treatment.
Used in these crafts
Illumination (Tazhib)
The decoration of manuscript pages and album leaves with gold and coloured pigments in geometric and floral designs framing text or painting.
Persian miniature
The Iranian tradition of small-scale painting made for manuscripts and albums, built from fine line, flat luminous colour and layered spatial convention rather than single-point perspective.