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Arts & Culture

The Practice of Gilding in Islamic Manuscript Illumination

Quick fact

In Islamic manuscript illumination, gold was applied as tiny flakes or dust mixed with gum, then carefully burnished with a stone tool, resulting in a surface so reflective that it was believed to mirror the divine light of God.

Why this is interesting

Ever opened a centuries-old Qur'an and been dazzled by pages that seem to glow as if lit from within? What creates that luminous shimmer?