a technique for decorating metal, wood, bone, and horn. A design is etched on the surface of the material, and a fine wire (gold, silver) is inlaid into the etched design. Damascening produces a supple, delicate, and shimmering pattern, often forming an ornamental web over the entire surface of the article. The art has been known since early antiquity in India, Middle Asia, the Near East, and the Caucasus. Damascening was particularly popular during the Middle Ages and is still done today.