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How did granular jewelry work reach ancient China?

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Plaque showing a warrior and attendants — metalwork Warrior and attendants plaque, brass relief sculpture by Edo artists in the court of the kingdom of Benin (now Nigeria), 16th–17th century; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

The art of granulation—a technique involving the application of minute gold grains to a surface—reached ancient China toward the end of the Han dynasty, likely no earlier than the late 2nd century CE.1

Historical evidence indicates that this decorative method was communicated to China from the Hellenized region of the Black Sea coast. Once introduced, the technique was frequently combined with filigree and remained in use until approximately the 10th century CE, with notable examples surviving from the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) in the form of hairpins, combs, earrings, and costume plaques. While some sources suggest a potential Indian origin for the technique in a broader Asian context, the specific transmission to China is attributed to the Hellenized regions of the West.12