vàng lá

Người thợ dát vàng lá lên bức tượng gỗ.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Gold leaf: Thin sheets of gold, hammered or beaten until extremely thin and delicate. Traditionally used for gilding in art, decoration, and religious objects.
   • Paper votive gold: Imitation gold leaf made from paper or thin metal foil, used in Vietnamese spiritual practices as ceremonial money or offerings to be burned.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người thợ dùng vàng lá để mạ lên tượng Phật. (The artisan used gold leaf to gild the Buddha statue.)
  • Vào ngày rằm, mọi người thường đốt vàng lá như một lễ vật cúng tổ tiên. (On the full moon day, people often burn paper votive gold as an offering to ancestors.)

Advanced Usage

• The term can appear in the context of traditional crafts, religious rituals, and cultural anthropology.
• In commerce, it may specify a type of material for artists or a category of ritual supplies.

Variants and Related Words

• Vàng miếng (n): Gold bullion or gold in a solid, cast form (as opposed to thin leaf).
• Vàng mã (n): A broader category of votive paper items, including paper money, clothes, and objects, often imitating valuable goods for ritual burning. Vàng lá is a specific type of vàng mã.

Synonyms

• Gold leaf: For the material used in art and decoration.
• Votive gold paper / Ceremonial gold paper: For the ritual offering context.

Related Cultural Context

• Đốt vàng mã / vàng lá: The practice of burning votive offerings, including gold paper, is a common ritual in Vietnamese folk religion and ancestor veneration. It is believed these items are transferred to the spirit world for use by deceased relatives.