Thanks, @hiddenblade. I did a little edit at the end to mention our interpreter. It's hard for me to get these longer posts right until I actually see them out of the editor format.
Thanks for noting the symbolism in the work.
You caught all of the details that I included in its creation, and then forgot to talk about.
I do like it when other people pick out the symbolism in my work though: it's re-assuring as a creator to know those details aren't overlooked. So very perceptive of you, and thank you.
When creating, I had actually considered spelling an Islamic word in the gold leaf, but as someone who would have had to rely on the internet to get the actual word, and working in spaces as precarious as the "in-betweens" of the tile ridges, I ran the risk of making the word illegible or worse, accidentally spelling something else.
However, the use of gold leaf does hold symbolism in my sculptural work, and it is a recurring theme. See my work
https://steemit.com/life/@corpsvalues/lilies-of-the-field
For me, gold represents the value of the soul/human spirit/innocence.
I frame gold with corrosion and patina (the opposite of what you usually see from a classical gallery, with gold framing)
The corrosion represents the effect that human experiencing has in formulating our identity and character: it scars us, but adds beauty in its own way, when those experiences make us stronger.
The next sculptural piece I share will continue this theme in a way, addressing it directly.
Pre-college/military I was very much into Eastern/Byzantine icons. You will see a lot of gold leafing in the work of those artists, and again very rich in symbolism.