Video: Gold leaf process for bronze casting Buddha statue

                                                     Photo: Gold leaf process on Buddha statueWhat is gold foil and how is it produced?
 

What is gold foil and how is it produced?

Gold foil is a thin sheet hammered by gold. Making gold foil in traditional way refers to that the main raw material is gold bar of which the content is 99.99%. It is proportioned according to the special requirements of gold foil. Quantitative proportion of silver, copper and other trace metal elements are added. This two steps are to satisfy the gold content needed. After more than ten processes of special processing, such as chemical wash, hammering and gold foil cutting, it is golden in color, bright and soft, light as a feather and thin as cicada's wings. The thickness is about 0.11 microns.

 
What are the applications of the gold foil in reality?
Gold foil has a wide range of uses, involving various fields such as Buddhism, classical gardens, various types of architecture, medicine and health care, and cultural undertakings. Among them, gold foil is more commonly used for Buddha statues, carved beams and painted buildings, plaques and pillars, and decorative use. Nowadays, gold foil is also used in beauty and skin care, medicinal food decoration and other aspects, such as gold foil dinner, gold foil wine, gold foil candy, gold mask and so on are widely popular.
 
What is gold leaf process and how to do the gold leaf?
 I. Clean up the work-piece
The surface of the work-piece must be smooth and flat before gold foil is applied, and kept dry, dust-free and free of wax or grease.
 II. Gluing
Before applying glue, we need to use the type of glue (oil-based glue available gasoline, water-based glue with pure water) for dilution, to reach the required glue concentration after the glue. The glue layer can be brushed or sprayed evenly, so that the glue is smooth. After sitting for some time, the foil can be pasted only after the glue is dry (touching with fingers, feeling sticky, but no finger pollution).
III. Pasting the foil
Putting the gold foil with paper lining on the base embryo which has been brushed with glue, and gently press and withdraw the paper with the help of wool brush or cotton pad. After completing the foil sticking process, using soft cloth or cotton ball to compact and flatten the gap on the foil surface, and making up the gold in time if there is any leakage.
IV. Gold sweeping
After the foil surface is compacted, to start to sweep the foil. Use a soft brush to gently sweep away the overlapping part in the direction of foil sticking to keep the foil surface flat and bright.
V. Applying protective Varnish
After 24 hours of gold foil application, spray a layer of protective varnish on the gold surface to make the gold foil less susceptible to scratches and wear. It is recommended to use foil protection oil, spray or brush.
 
Gold Leaf on Buddha Statue
From the totems of primitive tribes to the gold leaf on temples, the link between gold leaf craft and religion has never broken. Gold leaf on Buddha statue origins from ancient times. It has become a common practice to use gold leaf to decorate the Buddhist monasteries and temples in the past dynasties.

                                                                   Photo: Gold leaf Cundi Bodhisattva Statue in Changzhou Filial Piety Garden 

Located in the JiangNan Grottoes, the 21.9-meter-high statue of Cundi Bodhisattva Statue, built by the Chinese Filial Piety Garden, is the highest indoor sitting statue of Avalokitesvara in China.
This statue of Avalokitesvara is meant to show infinitely compassionate and merciful that Avalokitesvara comes to the world to rescue the sentient beings.

                                                                       Photo: Gold Bronze Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue in KMSPKS Singapore 

The statue is all made of from gold foil leaf. Craftsmen made every angle of the Buddha shine with golden light, which is visual enjoyment, but also the piety to the Buddha. The Statue was cast in bronze, including the lotus pedestal and staff. Gold leaf is kind of bronze statue finish, which makes the Statue look like gold-made. Now the Statue has been already shipped to Singapore and installed in the Temple. With the sunlight, the gold leaf finish is reflecting and shining in golden color as Buddha’s Light.
 
Gold Leaf on Outdoor Sculpture
We undertake all kinds of international projects of gold leaf on sculpture and statue over the years. For example, the gold leaf Phoenix, etc. The golden light is brilliant, showing the elegant style sublimated by the gold leaf craft in the atmospheric space.

                                                                                                                                   Photo: gold leaf Phoenix sculpture