History of gold

Part I - Gold in Antiquity
Gold has been recognized since ancient times as a noble material. Most
civilizations have fed the symbolic function, made a monetary value of it and
sometimes even worshipped it.

Gold in Antiquity
Two properties of this metal explain this: its yellow color and light, which are
reminiscent of the sun’s rays, while its inalterability seems to make it a
materialization of immortality.
Gold nuggets

Gold in Egypt
In Egypt, gold was linked to the history of the pharaohs and their sacred
relationship with the gods whose skin, in the imagination of the time, was gold.
Tutankhamun gold mask

Gold in Egypt
In ancient times, the Egyptians considered gold as the flesh of the
gods. They used gold in specific divination or funeral rituals,
crafting such funerary masks that would fix the image of the
deceased for eternity and identify him with the stars.

Gold in Egypt
Each sarcophagus is made of solid gold, engraved and sometimes set with
precious stones. Only persons of high social rank were buried in sarcophagi
Sarcophagus made of solid gold

Gold in Ancient Greece
Egyptians were also the first to have developed an expertise in the crafting of gold.
Some reliefs and wall paintings of the Old Kingdom tombs illustrate the process, from
the weighing of the metal to the presentation of the finished object.
Egyptians crafting of gold

The use of gold as money originates in ancient Greece. In fact, the oldest gold
coins found so far circulated in Lydia in the sixth century before Christ.
gold coins minted under Croesus

The proverbial wealth of Lydian dynasties that marked their
contemporaries by their opulent offerings in major shrines (Delphi,
Ephesus, etc..), is such that the ancient authors (Herodotus,
Plutarch) speak of "creseids" to designate the coins minted under
Croesus (561-546 BC.).

The dead were buried with their jewelry and utensils of everyday life so that they could
continue to "live" in the world of the dead. It is in such a set of tombs that in 1876, the
famous death mask of Agamemnon was found.
Death mask of Agamemnon

The mask of Agamemnon is an exception in art and funerary
practices of the ancient Greeks, which marks a first step towards a
monetary value of gold. It remains closely linked to power, for
control of mining became a major issue for empires and a family’s
nobility still appeared in the possession of richly crafted gold
ornaments.

Gold in Rome
The Roman Empire was responsible for the introduction of massive
exploitation techniques in gold mining. The health of the roman
economy depended heavily Roman discoveries, mines and decline
in production of gold deposits throughout the empire.

Gold in Rome
Under Julius Caesar, gold became the center of the Roman monetary system.
The emperors minted coins in their own image, which was a major revolution in
the management of an empire and enabled such a large extension.
Roman emperors gold coins

Gold in Rome
Indeed, the reproduction of the portrait of the emperor, seen as a kind of incarnation
of him in the collective imagination of the time, gave him a sort of ubiquity. He was
everywhere, in everyone's pocket. It was a founding act of political propaganda.
Gold bust of Marcus Aurelius

Gold in Rome
The Romans consumed large amounts of gold (estimated at 1,400 tons of gold per
year), but did not make major artistic or decorative use of it. The use of gold by
Roman goldsmiths was widespread and women wore jewelry made of rope, stone or
metal on a daily basis.
Roman gold jewelry

Gold in Pre-Columbian Americas
Latin America experienced a significant use of gold. In pre-Columbian
civilizations, gold enjoyed great prestige but still did not have market value. By
association with solar deities, the indigenous populations considered that gold
retained the rays of the sun.
the main uses for gold were in a religious or decorative context.

Gold in Pre-Columbian Americas
The Incas, the Mayas, the Aztecs, and even small regional civilizations
throughout all Latin America had a great mastery of gold-working techniques.
Thus the most important traditions of gold crafting were to be found in Mexico,
Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Peru and Chile. Among them, the three most
famous civilizations: the Aztecs, the Mayas and the Incas.

The Aztecs and gold
(at least the sixth century A.D. - sixteenth century A.D., northern Mesoamerica)
The Aztecs are the most sophisticated of Latin America’s pre-Columbian civilizations.
The chiefs had gold objects in their own image and that of their gods.
A fine example is the golden statuette of the Emperor Tizoc or the two discs which measure 2.1m in
diameter, in gold and silver which Cortés brought back to Europe and were given to Charles Quint.

The Mayas and gold
(2600 B.C. - sixteenth century A.D., Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean)
The Mayas maintained a wide trade network. Copper, but also gold, silver and jade
were materials they used in the decorative arts. Weapons, jewelry, ornaments and
statuettes, form the bulk of their production. The use of gold was also intimately
linked to religion and funerary rites.
Maya objects of worship in gold

The Incas and gold
(Thirteenth-sixteenth century A.D., west coast of South America)
With knowledge neither of the wheel nor writing, the Incas had developed a complex
culture and devoted their worship to the sun and stars, but also to nature and idols.
Incas element of nature statue in pure gold

The Incas and gold
The Incas erected temples, mostly dedicated to the sun, where gold found it
place due to its brilliance. The two most famous temples are Corincancha (the
gold pen) and the Temple of the Sun in Cuzco, the capital of the Empire.
Incas golden disc representing the sun

The Incas and gold
The Incas also made jewelry, masks and objects of pure gold they wore or used
during sacred rituals.
Inca gold mask

The Incas and gold
In some tribes, gold was worn everyday, including by warriors in the form of
bracelets, necklaces, headbands and earrings.
Inca warrior with gold ornaments

Part II - Uses of gold during
the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
The Middle Ages is a turning point which saw Christianity settle in
Europe, and with it a new form of worship of gold. Other religions
which had their peak between the fall of the Roman Empire and
the rise of Italian cities, wore gold as a symbol of the divine,
particularly in the Far East.

Uses of decorative gold in Japan
Japanese temples are in essence, a room used for worship (the Kondo), which is entirely
decorated in gold and houses the cult statue. An example is the Kinkaku-ji, also named
Temple of the Golden Pavilion that’s completely covered with gold, with the exception of the
ground floor, which earned it its name.
The Kinkaku-ji

Uses of decorative gold in Japan
Registered since 1994 as World Heritage by UNESCO, the Golden Pavilion is topped by a
sculpture of Fenghuang, the Chinese phoenix, made entirely of gold.
sculpture of Fenghuang, the Chinese phoenix in gold

Indonesia and its uses of gold
Between the fifth and fifteenth centuries, Indonesia witnessed the construction
of many places of worship. These monuments are dedicated to Buddhism or
Hinduism, or sometimes both religions at once. In the plain of Surakarta and
Yogyakarta, the temple of Prambanan is situated next to Buddhist monuments.
Prambanan temple

Indonesia and its uses of gold
It is from this period that the charming figurines produced gold artisans who
were devoted to the cult date.
Indonesia gold artisans

Decorative gold in China
The Forbidden City lies at the heart of the Imperial City of Beijing.
The imposing palace is full of molded and painted decorations,
many of which are worked with gold leaf.
The Forbidden City

The decoration of the city follows a complex iconographic program. On the outside, large
and heavy gilt bronze sculptures, wall decorations and gold leaf, friezes and moldings in
porcelain and clay can be seen. Inside, the life of the Emperor took place in an
extravagant pomp, where all everyday objects were luxuriously manufactured in bronze,
gold, silver, etc...
Inner Courtyard Forbidden City

The film, Forbidden City, shot in 2007, highlights the stylistic richness in which
the Chinese imperial dynasties lived.
A scene from the movie Forbidden City

Thailand, buddhism and gold
The history of the Golden Buddha in Bangkok is one of the most edifying of
Buddhist culture. It is the largest statue in solid gold in the world and it is 3 meters
high and weighs 5.5 tons.
Gold buddha, Thailand

Thailand, buddhism and gold
The statue of Buddha was once cased in wood to be concealed. The casing was
broken because of an accident and it discovered to be made of solid gold.
The Pagoda of the Bois de Vincennes houses the largest Buddha in Europe, measuring
nine meters high and completely covered in gold leaf.
Pagoda Bois de Vincennes gold Buddha

Gold and its place in European craftsmanship
In Europe during the Middle Ages, the use of gold, associated with
the image of God and the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem, was
almost exclusively in the decoration of churches, ecclesiastical
furniture and religious artefacts
Gold mosaics in the Zeno Chapel

Gold symbolizes the light of God in icons and golden mosaic backgrounds.
One of the most striking examples is the Zeno Chapel (twelfth century), in the
Santa Prassede in Rome, whose walls and vaulted ceiling are covered with
mosaics in tesserae of gold.
Mosaic using gold tesserae

This mosaic was made by Greek craftsmen in Rome in the tenth century. This
particular technique consists of an irregular assembling of tiles, so that the mosaic
shines and comes much more alive than if the tiles were arranged neatly.
Christ Pantocrator in the mandorla, carried by four angels

Other buildings, such as the Orthodox churches in Eastern Europe, feature
golden ornaments. Orthodox iconography is at least as rich as the Catholic
iconography of the Middle Ages.
Golden domes

Other uses of gold appeared in the Middle Ages, especially in the art of
miniature and illumination, where the gold leaf is commonly found.
Miniature using gold

If the Middle Ages gave religion a central place in every-day life, gold also continued to
serve the government's image, as can be seen in the attributes (staffs, boxes, etc.) of
kings, emperors and popes.
Gold sceptre

The golden dress of Queen Margaret of Denmark is a masterpiece of medieval
clothing, sewn and embroidered with gold thread so densely that it seems at first
sight to be worked entirely in gold.
Golden dress of Queen Margaret of Denmark

The garment opened new uses for gold in tailoring and
dressmaking and was the start of a long tradition of costumes de
cour as seen in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries.

Adorned with fine gold from early on, frames have seen a marked change
throughout history and are one of the most widespread fields for techniques in gold
leaf application.
Golden frame

This craft is still practiced today and some art restorers specialize in
the restoration of antique frames, such as those that can be seen
around the works of the great masters of the Renaissance and
Classicism.

Part III - Classicism and Modernity
After the Renaissance and the advent of major Italian cities, Classicism
prevailed throughout Europe in the form of the French sense of aesthetics that
the King of France celebrated at Versailles. Baroque slid into a thriving
aesthetic, where ornaments, especially golden ornaments, found a place of
first choice, as still visible today through the splendor of the castles of
Versailles and Sans Souci (Berlin).

France's legacy of gold
All rooms at Versailles, whose construction began at the end of the
Renaissance, in 1623, such as galleries, the Hall of Mirrors and the
gates of the park include gold elements.
Hall of mirrors in Versailles

The Queen's chamber gives an even better idea of the taste for gold and
baroque, as hangings, woodwork, walls, moldings and the bed itself are
lavishly covered with gold leaf decorations.
Queen’s chamber in Versailles

With the advent of the monarchy, each kingdom wanting to
distinguish itself from others by its wealth and symbols of power,
created a competition almost without limits to be bigger, stronger
and richer than one’s neighbor.

In this power struggle furniture found a space of expression particularly conducive to
the development of the classical and baroque styles and is undoubtedly the most
extravagant ever produced. The Venetian throne preserved today at Versailles is a
demonstration of this
H
Venetian throne at Versailles

In addition to furniture, clothing of noblemen and noblewomen experienced a
major stylistic development, with stitching in silver thread and gold, inlays of
precious stones, etc.. which made the formal clothing of great personalities
quite rigid, heavy and generally uncomfortable to wear.

The robe of the King of Sweden is a great example of the decorative use of fine
thread and precious stones in the making of his costume.
Golden robe of the King of Sweden

For French artisans, the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were
synonymous with great technical and aesthetic advances. The goldsmiths and
clockmakers enjoyed an overall prosperous period and perfect setting for their
development.
Gold clock Ornate gold candle-holder Decorative bust in gold

A brief history of Gold in Japan
Lacquered items from Japan, which were exported to Europe from the
Renaissance onwards, found resounding success in european classicism. The
impact of the technique of Japanese lacquer in the decorative arts was extensive
and met a rather popular taste of the time for both the baroque aesthetic and
the East, which travel literature was also able to relay with finesse.

The technique of Japanese lacquer requires a lot of time, patience and dexterity.
Gold is also the most used element in the decoration of lacquerware.
The Mazarin Chest is an outstanding example of this technique, both in its size
and the richness of its decoration.
The Mazarin chest

Another good example is the lacquerd chest comissioned by the governor
general of the Dutch East Indies, Anton van Diemen, which was made by the
most famous craftsmen. This chest has on its cover an important scene of The
Tale of Genji, one of the key works of Japanese literature.
Cover of the Mazarin chest depicting the Tale of Genji

The most representative pieces of the tradition of Japanese lacquer, however
were not made to order, like this vanity box whose decorations are inspired by
japanese mythology and similar to another piece found in Marie-Antoinette’s
collections.
Japanese vantity box decorated with gold

Household furniture has also been made using these techniques, such as, for
example, screens that have the dual function of protection against draughts
while providing an intimate space and a decorative object.
Lacquered screen

In the eighteenth century, England became home to another type of chests, not
lacquered as by the Japanese, but decorated with reliefs made of solid gold.
Taking legendary or historical events of ancient history, they brought the old
standards up to date in a world that was searching for a new identity.
Wedding of Alexander the Great and Roxanne Orpheus and Eurydice

Gold and clothing
The link between gold and garments dates back to the tradition of court apparel, which
came into being towards the end of the Middle Ages. Court finery has maintained the
tradition of use of gold, and in India the tradition to dress in garments containing gold
thread on religious occasions is quite established to this day. The traditional Hindu sari
can be embroidered with patterns or simply woven with threads of gold or silver.
Sarees worked with gold-thread

Many designers have in recent years started to use gold in their creations, such
as Michael Kors and Stella McCartney.
Designed by Michael Kors
Gold and clothing

DeLafée International innovates by creating temporary tattoos in gold, which
complement a tradition of dress or adornment through gold jewelry by the
application of the precious metal itself.
Gold Tattoos by DeLafée
Present day with DeLafée International

Gold must be earned
In addition to symbolic political power or religious associations, gold is now also
a symbol of merit. In our contemporary society, since the late nineteenth
century, gold has found employment in symbolic rewards, mainly in sports. The
Fifa Cup is of course made of solid gold, as is the golden ball which is given each
season to the best player of the year.
Fifa Cup

Gold must be earned
Medals in competitions, whether Olympic or other, are an even better
illustration of a hierarchy of metals, as gold, silver and bronze are used to
distinguish, respectively, the first, second and third place.
Olympic Medals

Eating gold
Known for its medicinal properties – one can even purchase it in the form of
pills – , gold is also edible.
Pils containing edible gold

Eating gold
Gold has probably been consumed since ancient times, however, it is attested
only in the fourteenth century, in the Milanese Chronicles of Bernardino Corio:
the reader will be surprised by his description of the marriage supper of
Violante Visconsi and Lionel Plantagenet (1368) where illustrious guests
(including Petrarch) were served many pieces of game covered with leaves of
pure gold.
Duck “à l’Orange” with edible gold crust,
Menu Midas, by DeLafée

Eating gold
Saffron was also used for its yellow color to give paintings - and later food - a
resemblance to gold. This is how saffron risotto, as loved by the Milanese, was
invented. The Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi upholds this legend by garnishing
his saffron risotto with edible gold leaf.
Saffron risotto with gold leaf

In this area too, DeLafée International continues and renews this
tradition by offering edible gold suitable for the culinary and
aesthetic needs of today
Present day with DeLafée International

Products of DeLafée
Gold ice cubes sparkling with gold glitter

DeLafée's gold lollipop, the strawberry flavor, the spicy and the silver lollipop

Gold chocolates by DeLafée

For DeLafée products,
order here: www.delafee.com
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History of gold

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