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Glite Dictionary
🪨 Layered rock 🥇 Applying thin metal 🌱 Leaf growth 🏰 Leaf-shaped design
foliation

foliation

9.4
Applying thin metal sheets like gold or silver to surfaces in art
  • noun
  • /foʊliˈeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : chapado
  • The artist used foliation to enhance the gold leaf design.

Examples

  • The foliation process can be quite intricate in metalworking.

  • The foliation of the window panes gave them a shimmering, golden appearance.

  • Artisans perfected the technique of foliation in cathedral glass.

  • The museum described the foliation process used in the restoration of ancient mirrors.

  • The museum described the foliation process used in the restoration of ancient mirrors.

  • The foliation of the window panes gave them a shimmering, golden appearance.

  • Artisans perfected the technique of foliation in cathedral glass.

Synonyms

plating
vsfoliation
  • Specialized
15 5.9

A thin layer of metal that covers an object to protect it or make it look better

applies thin metal sheets as decorative art rather than coating by deposition
metallization
vsfoliation
  • Specialized
7.5

A thin metal layer put on a surface to make it conduct electricity or look shiny

uses thin metal sheets for art rather than technical deposition processes

How Thin

foliation
  • Specialized
9.4
gilding
1 7.0

Surface Forms

foliation singular
foliations plural

Morphology

foliation = foliate (opaque) = foli + ation

This craft sense (application of thin metal sheets/foil) is specialized and not predictably derived from the 'leaf' sense of foli- (it may be influenced by 'foil'), so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from the base.

Etymology

Foliation comes from the Latin folium meaning 'leaf' and shares the same root as foil (a very thin metal sheet) and foliage (plant leaves). So when artists talk about foliation of metal, think of covering or making things with very thin, 'leaf-like' metal sheets.