Nanjing is famous for many traditional folk arts and crafts including Jinling gold foil art. Jinling is the ancient name which Nanjing was once known as. The thin golden sheets formed from large bullions are used to create magnificent statues, sculptures and objects.

Jinling gold foil art has a history of over two thousand years and is believed to have originated in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) when traditional forging techniques were fused with Buddhism art. The Longtan area of Nanjing was the first to start using gold foil within its art. There were three clans who specialized in the individual steps of Jinling gold foil art. The clan known as Liu was responsible for forging the gold foil. The Ge clan would cut the gold foil into thin leaves. Finally the Yin clan would create exquisite art from the gold leaves.  

Mass production of gold foil started throughout China in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). By the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), gold foil was used on many art works to add a rich and sophisticated essence to the object. Many ornaments within the imperial palace were lined with gold foil including etchings on hallways and small statues scattered around the courtyard.

There are more than ten intricate steps for the ancient craft of gold foil work which have been passed down from generation to generation. The gold bullion needs to be melted down into a solid square in preparation for beating. Two men facing each other then hammer the pure twenty-four carat gold bar at least 25,000 times to create a light gold leaf as thin as a cicada’s wing. Highly developed skills and accurate precision is needed to judge where and how to hammer the gold bar to produce evenly thin sheets of gold leaves as thin as 0.1 micron. Each hammer weighs 3.5 kilograms. 943 gold leaves are needed to create a thickness of only one millimeter and 10,000 pieces weigh only 178 grams. The gold leaf is then cut into smaller leaves. They are then cut into foils and used to create or decorate stunning gold statues and sculptures

Gold foil was often adorned on religious statues and royal decorations. Today, it is still used on religious sculptures, buildings and is even added to Chinese medicine and food.

The magnificent art work formed from gold foil is featured in many museums around the world and continues to create masterpieces which are cherished and admired by all. The stunning foil leaves are soft, shiny, light as a feather and thin as cicada wings. The effort and talent poured into the creation of golden foil art is evident at first glance. The preservation and promotion of Nanjing foil art is needed to ensure future generations will carry on the legacy of this endangered traditional craft.