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How does filigree use gold or silver wire to make decoration?

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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.

Filigree is a delicate, lacelike form of ornamental metalwork created using fine threads of gold or silver wire. The process involves curling, twisting, or plaiting these pliable metal threads into intricate designs.12

To create a piece, the artisan first designs the pattern on a model that matches the intended shape of the final work. The wire can be used in its smooth form, plaited like a rope, or fashioned into small beads or hemispheres. Once the wire is shaped, it is soldered or welded at its points of contact.31

This decoration can be applied in two primary ways:
* Surface decoration: The wire design is welded directly onto the surface of an object made of the same metal.3
* Openwork: The design is created without a background, resulting in a delicate, unsupported structure.13

In some traditions, such as in East Asia, these wire designs are further subdivided or surrounded by additional bands of metal. A more complex variation, known as granulated filigree, incorporates small metal beads into the wirework.13