noun
cut metal foil decoration; metallic foil strips or shapes for ornament
Refers to the material itself: thin metal foil (often gold or silver) cut into strips, squares, or other shapes used as decorative motifs in traditional crafts.
仏像の装飾に切り金が使われている。
Cut metal foil is used in the decoration of Buddhist statues.
noun
cut metal foil technique; applying cut foil with lacquer
Refers to the technique or process: cutting thin metal sheets into shapes and affixing them with lacquer to create designs, often representing natural elements like clouds.
切り金の技法で雲を表現する。
Clouds are expressed using the cut metal foil technique.
Compound of 切り (kiri, 'cutting') + 金 (kane, 'metal'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is associated with traditional Japanese decorative metalwork.