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?