Victoria and Albert Museum
The world’s greatest museum of art and design
Opening times
10.00 to 17.45 daily
10.00 to 22.00 Fridays
Watercolour on Vellum
Shell gold: gold leaf that has been reduced to powder form by grinding it with honey
Shell gold: gold leaf that has been reduced to powder form by grinding it with honey
Shell gold
Gold leaf that has been reduced to powder form by grinding it with honey, which is then washed away. The name derives from the mussel shells it was once stored in.
