Exposition - Or et doré. Illuminer le livre

Discover how gold and gilding, present in the heritage collections of Le Labo, sublimate, ennoble and illuminate the book across the centuries.

Gold, that unalterable and luminous metal which has passed through time and fascinated civilisations, is closely bound up with the book. Gold shines on leather, brocade and velvet bindings, but also on the edges of volumes and on the support of writing, whether parchment or paper. The heritage collection of Le Labo teems with this "golden touch": bindings, decoration and illuminations, initial letters, writing characters, images and decorated plates are so many "seams of gold" to discover, gold mines to explore! Gold reveals itself here as material, colour and light, and as a value carrying meaning. The exhibition explores the touches of gold and gilding present in the collections to reveal the dazzling diversity of ornament, the brilliance and the powerful attraction of this metal applied "on and within the book". Through a selection of previously unseen works, the remarkable finesse of decorative expression and the symbolic power of gold, when it is associated with the supports of the written word, are both brought to the fore. The aim is to show how, everywhere and throughout time, gold and gilding ennoble, sublimate and illuminate the "book as object".

Practical information

📅 Saturday 10 October 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027

🕤 Free visit during Le Labo's opening hours

👉 Guided tours every Wednesday and Sunday at 4.30pm

⏱️ Duration: 1 hour

Reservation recommended

📍 Meet in the temporary exhibition room