Gold or silver inlaying as an art is used in China both to decorate articles of daily use and to produce purely ornamental objects. It can be applied on nearly all ground materials including wood, bronze, china and horn. The patterns produced have distinct Chinese features.

To inlay gold or silver wires involves meticulous work. First a design is pasted on the article to be decorated, and a small chisel is hammered along the lines to make grooves in the surface. Then silver or gold wires of suitable sizes, ranging from thick ones of about 2 mm across to filaments as thin as hair, are set into the grooves to form clear and bright patterns. The finishing touches are cleaning, polishing and sometimes waxing. A commonplace object is thus transformed into a work of art of increased value.