Exquisite Chinese Miao silver jewelry art is second to none in the world
Who are the Miao?
Can you imagine wearing 40 pounds of pure silver ornaments from head to toe? Well, the Miao are a nation who proudly show off the beauty with their handmade, elaborately designed silver jewelry in a way that almost covers their entire body! Living in the mountainous areas of south and southwestern China, the Miao ethnic group love silver and regard silver as a symbol of light of hope. There are so many different kinds of Miao silver ornaments, here are just a few:
Silver headdresses
Miao silver headdresses are quite a sight and are worn only on very special occasions, like weddings or important holidays. They consist of three parts: the horns, the hat, and the hood.
Silver horns: The silver horns are the most important part of a Miao silver headdress, and they are crafted to mimic the horns of an ox. The headpiece spans about three feet from one horn to another, and reaches almost the same height. So they are nearly half the height of the wearer!
The pictures on the horn are colorful and showy. They usually feature a pattern of two dragons playing with a ball. Women use a pair of white feathers to decorate the horn, or put some silver flowers and butterflies onto the horn to make it more beautiful.
Silver hat: A silver hat is the base of the headdress and can be a foot tall. It’s completely covered with silver flowers, birds, animals, bells, and tassels. There are twelve pieces of silver feathers hanging behind the hat and reaching to their waist.
Silver hood: The silver hood hangs down from the hat and covers parts of the face and neck. In some Miao areas, the silver hood has five ornaments placed on it, with the biggest one in the middle dropping from the forehead and the others hanging around ears.
While in other areas, a silver hood has three layers. There are 29 round silver flowers which make up the highest layer. The middle layer has a round glass showing off in the center, and 14 warriors riding horses on each side. Beautiful fringes form the lowest layer.
Silver hairpins
Miao silver hairpins always feature flowers, birds, and butterflies. The most striking designs feature 10 silver flowers which look like a Chinese fan. Beautiful beads shine in the flowers and five silver phoenixes fluttering around the center.
Some hairpins are in the shape of a chopstick adorned with silver bells and long tassels.
Silver combs
Miao women use a silver comb to decorate their hair. It’s in fact a wooden comb covered with thin sliver slices. On the surface of a comb are designs of birds, flowers, or the image of a Bodhisattva. Some combs feature long silver chains falling down.
Silver earrings
Intricate Miao unique silver jewelry is often shaped like flowers, birds, butterflies, dragons, or plants. Miao women like to wear 3 or 4 pieces of silver earrings at the same time. A single silver earring can weigh 200 grams, and reach all the way down to their shoulders. But many small earrings have very fine threads which are nearly invisible.
Silver neckbands
Wide silver neckbands are similar to necklaces in the West, but they are rigid and have many pendants hanging down from them. In different Miao areas, the neckbands vary a lot. A dragon silver neckband features two dragons playing with a ball and has 11 different ornaments hanging from it. Another kind of neckband has 14 silver rings linked tightly together, while silver birds or butterflies hang down from each ring.
Silver bracelets
The Miao silver bracelets are engraved with the images of flowers, fish, or dragons. A heavy, wide band is the characteristic of some bracelets. Miao women usually wear 4 or 5 pairs of silver bracelets at one time, sometimes more during festivals or holidays.
Silver rings
A Miao silver ring is usually quite small and has fine pieces of silver bent and shaped into flowers, birds, or plants. Some Miao women have rings on their eight fingers, only with their thumbs free. Some rings are half the length of their fingers.
Silver garments
Tiny silver slices or threads are commonly woven into the fabric of Miao clothing. About 40 main silver pieces can be used, all of which are in round or square shape.When put on a silver garment, the clothing sparkles beautifully with the Miao walking or dancing.
Each piece is engraved with amazing patterns such as phoenix, tigers, lions, butterflies, and flowers.
Also, sometimes as many as 60 silver bells can hang from the garments, which make beautiful sounds and add to the overall look.
Silver waistbands
A silver waistband features hundreds of silver images of Bodhisattvas sewn on a piece of cloth. The Miao wear it around their waist, and the images shine beautifully when the Miao walk or dance.
Silver anklet
Last but not least are small but sturdy silver anklets that clasp above the foot. Miao children have silver anklets on to keep away from evil spirits and stay safe.
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