Filigree Inlay Craftsmanship

Filigree inlay, also called "fine gold work," uses gold and silver; its lineage runs back to early Chinese goldsmithing and reached its height in the Ming and Qing courts of Beijing as an imperial craft.

Gold and silver are drawn into the finest threads and then bent, filled, assembled and soldered into openwork patterns (the filigree), into which pearls and gems are set (the inlay); the two together yield pieces of delicate, jewel-like opulence.

One of the "Eight Wonders of Yanjing," filigree inlay is inscribed as national intangible cultural heritage — a pinnacle of Chinese fine-gold work, seen above all in court headdresses and ceremonial objects.

At Beijing's arts-and-crafts museum and the Yanjing Bajue Museum you can admire filigree headdresses and objects, and study up close the intricate weaving of gold thread set with gems.