Gold leaf blocking on leather and parchment had been practiced in Europe since the early 16th century. From 1698 onwards this technique was applied to paper. What became known as brocaded paper was produced in a relief printing process — a design cut in relief using a number of different metalworking tools from a sheet of copper or brass at least 6mm thick. The repertoire of shapes used to decorate brocaded paper, among them ribbons, tendr... read more>>>