Beautiful Chinese Miao silver jewelry art
Who are the Miao?
Do you think it’s possible to wear 30 pounds of pure silver jewelry from head to foot? 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 include three different 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. From one horn to another, the headpiece can span almost three feet and will usually reach about the same height. So they can be almost half the height of the wearer!
The designs of the horn are very elaborate. There is always a pattern of two dragons playing with a ball engraved on it. 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 entirely covered with silver animals, birds, flowers, bells, and tassels. Twelve pieces of silver feathers hang behind the hat, and reach directly 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. The highest layer features 29 round silver flowers. The middle layer sports a bright, round glass at the center, and 14 warriors riding horses standing at each side. The lowest layer is fringes.
Silver hairpins
Miao silver hairpins always feature flowers, birds, and butterflies. The most attractive patterns feature 10 silver flowers laid out just like a Chinese fan. Colorful beads glisten in the flowers and five silver phoenixes fly around the center.
Some hairpins look like chopsticks decorated with silver bells or 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 you can see the image of a Bodhisattva, or beautiful patterns of flowers, dragons, and birds. There are some combs which feature big and long silver chains dropping down.
Silver earrings
Intricate Miao unique silver jewelry is often shaped like flowers, birds, butterflies, dragons, or plants. Miao women usually wear 3 or 4 pieces of silver earrings at one time. A single silver earring can weigh 200 grams, and reach all the way down to their shoulders. But there are many small earrings which feature thin, almost invisible twisted threads.
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.On a dragon silver neckband you can see the image of two dragons playing with a ball, and 11 various ornaments hanging from it. Another kind of neckband shows off 14 silver rings linked together, with silver birds or flowers dropping from each ring.
Silver bracelets
The Miao silver bracelets are engraved with the images of flowers, fish, or dragons. Some bracelets have wide, heavy bands that look like the cuffs worn by ancient warriors. Miao women often have 4 or 5 pairs of silver bracelets around their wrists at one time, sometimes even more during 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 big enough to cover half the length of their fingers.
Silver garments
Tiny silver slices or threads are commonly woven into the fabric of Miao clothing. There are more than 40 silver pieces in round or square shape that can be used.When put on a silver garment, the clothing sparkles beautifully with the Miao walking or dancing.
Each piece features lovely designs like flowers, phoenix, butterflies, and tigers.
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 like to wear it around their waist, and when they walk or dance, the images shake and shine beautifully.
Silver anklet
Last but not least are small but sturdy silver anklets that clasp above the foot. Silver anklets are usually worn by Miao children to drive away evil spirits.
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