Gold mud - Kondei

Japanese: 金泥 - こんでい

〘Noun〙 ("Kon" is the Go-on pronunciation of "gold") Gold powder dissolved in glue liquid. Used for decoration of Japanese paintings and Buddhist statues, and decorative copying of sutras. Kindei. ※Shoku Nihongi - Yoro 6th year (722), December Kojutsu "The statue of Emperor Fujiwara no Miya's Shakamonogatari, its original wish record, _copied with _gold mud _and _{placed in} a _Buddhist temple." ※Imakagami (1170), 6th volume "All the Sutras of Kondei"

Gold mud

〘 noun 〙 A pigment made by dissolving gold powder in glue . It is used in Japanese paintings, copying sutras, and to decorate the surfaces of Buddhist statues. Gold paste. [Waei Rinshu ( First Edition) (1867)] *Hakai (1906)〈Shimazaki Toson〉, 15 "The head priest placed his hands together beside the pillar covered in gold paste ." [Tokan Kanki]

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙 (「こん」は「金」の呉音) 金粉を膠(にかわ)の液で溶かしたもの。日本画や仏像の装飾、また、装飾的な写経などに用いる。きんでい。※続日本紀‐養老六年（722）一二月庚戌「藤原宮御宇太上天皇釈迦像、其本願縁記、写_レ以_二金泥_一、安_二置仏殿_一焉」※今鏡（1170）六「こんでいの一切経」