Around 500 AD, Byzantine artists perfected the technique of creating gold-ground illuminated manuscripts, which featured gold leaf backgrounds in religious texts and icons. This artistic innovation symbolized heavenly light and divine presence, enhancing the spiritual experience of the viewer. The use of gold in manuscripts reflected the wealth and power of the Byzantine Empire, as well as its commitment to religious art. These illuminated works remain significant examples of Byzantine artistry and continue to influence art history.

Shaped medieval poetic and devotional literature, Byzantine gold-ground illuminated manuscripts inspired illuminated texts and symbolic use of gold in hymns and religious verse. Poets like Dante Alighieri drew on the aesthetics of illumination to enhance the spiritual experience of their works, merging visual art with literary beauty.