Silver-inlaid black copper, an ancient handicraft called wutongzouyin, is being celebrated at the Yunnan Nationalities Museum from May 18.

It requires a complicated process, using black copper as the roughcast, then inlaying melted silver (or gold) into the nicks to create artistic patterns. After a high temperature fuses the two metals into one, technical treatments, including cooling, grinding and polishing, turn it into an exquisite artwork with unique style.

With a history of nearly 300 years, silver-inlaid black copperware used to enjoy a reputation in the art field equal to cloisonné, or jingtailan, also known as "copper-padded thread-woven enamel".