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How were bimetallic gold and silver objects made in ancient Mexico?

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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.

In ancient Mexico, artisans created bimetallic objects of gold and silver through a specialized two-stage casting process.

First, the gold component of the object was cast. Subsequently, the silver—which possesses a lower melting point than gold—was "cast on" to the existing gold piece in a separate, secondary operation. A notable example of this sophisticated technique is the pectoral of Teotitlán del Camino, which is currently held in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.1