Knowledge & Discovery

Techniques

How the objects were made. Some techniques carry a history that needs stating plainly — kingfisher-feather work is the clearest case.

雕刻CarvingRemoving material to shape a form, whether in jade, bone or wood. In jade the hardness of th…1 object 累丝FiligreeFine metal wire — twisted, curled and soldered — built up into openwork forms. In Chinese go…No objects yet 鎏金GildingApplying a thin layer of gold to a metal surface, commonly by mercury gilding. It gives the …22 objects 炸珠GranulationTiny spheres of metal fused to a surface to create texture or pattern. Requires precise cont…No objects yet 镶嵌InlaySetting one material into recesses cut in another — glass into silver, gemstones into gold, …1 object 点翠Kingfisher-feather inlayA technique in which the iridescent blue-green feathers of the kingfisher are cut and glued …28 objects