Filigree

Filigree consists of fine gold or silver wire worked up by plaiting and soldering into a kind of network, of which crosses, earrings, and other ornaments are made. Another kind of filigree-work is made by soldering wires or metal plates on to articles with a solid basis, so as to form an ornamental pattern on the surface. The art was carried to a high pitch of excellence by the ancient Greeks and Etruscans. It was also cultivated in the Middle Ages, especially among the Scandinavians and Irish Celts; and it still exists in India and Central Asia, as it did at a remote period of antiquity. The chief seats of the modern industry are Malta and the towns of North Italy.