Discover the astonishing Chinese Miao silver jewelry art
Who are the Miao?
How do you feel to wear 30 pounds of 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. From one horn to another, the headpiece stretches nearly three feet and extends almost the same height. So they can be almost half the height of the wearer!
The designs of the horn are very elaborate. 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 entirely covered with silver animals, birds, flowers, bells, and tassels. Behind the hat are twelve pieces of silver feathers hanging all the way down 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 features five ornaments set on it, with the largest one at the center falling from the forehead and the others dropping around ears.
A silver hood features three layers in other areas. The highest layer sports 29 sparkling, 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 features fringes.
Silver hairpins
Miao silver hairpins always feature flowers, birds, and butterflies. The most extraordinary designs sport 10 silver flowers arranged 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. The wooden comb has a layer of silver slices covered on its surface. The image of a Bodhisattva, or designs of birds, flowers are often engraved on the surface. 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 often wear 3 or 4 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 threads which are as thin as a piece of paper.
Silver neckbands
Wide silver neckbands are similar to necklaces in the West, but they are rigid and have many pendants hanging down from them. There are many kinds of neckbands popular in the Miao areas. A dragon silver neckband features two dragons playing with a ball and has 11 different ornaments hanging from it. Another kind of neckband has about 14 connected silver rings, with some silver flowers or birds falling from each ring.
Silver bracelets
The Miao silver bracelets are engraved with the images of flowers, fish, or dragons. Some bracelet are characterized by their heavy, wide bands looking like the cuffs worn by soldiers in ancient times. Miao women often wear 4 or 5 pairs of silver bracelets at the same time.
Silver rings
A Miao silver ring is usually quite small and has fine pieces of silver bent and shaped into flowers, birds, or plants. In some Miao areas, women have rings on all eight of their fingers, but 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. There are about 40 square or round silver pieces that can be used.When place on a silver garment, the clothing shine beautifully when the Miao walk or dance.
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 wrap it tightly around their waist, and the images shake and sparkle brightly when the Miao dance.
Silver anklet
Last but not least are small but sturdy silver anklets that clasp above the foot. Miao children wear silver anklets to ward off evil spirits.
Stephen Ward Paintings Art set to music by Kevin Mcleod Silver blue Light Very Relaxing calming
|
|
Fast Weigh MS-500-BLK Digital Pocket Scale, 500 by 0.1 G $4.50 Introducing the M-500 from Fast Weigh Scales! This hip little scale is one of the hottest and most economical scales on the market today! The removable cover keeps the scale protected when not in use and also doubles as an expansion tray. Just replace the plastic cover when your done using it, and you can safely toss the scale in your handbag or pocket with no worries. Features: * A stylish yet ec… |
|
|
Weber Style 6445 Professional-Grade Stainless-Steel 3-Piece Barbeque Tool Set $28.92 Professional Grade 3-Piece Barbeque Tool Set (6445) Stainless… |
|
|
Thermos Stainless King SK1005MB4 16-Ounce Leak-Proof Travel Mug, Midnight Blue $18.85 16 OZ, Leak Proof Travel Tumbler, Patented Thermos Vacuum Insulation Technology For Maximum Temperature Retention, Hot Or Cold, Unbreakable Stainless Steel Interior & Exterior, Cool To The Touch With Hot Liquids, Sweat Proof With Cold, Fits Most Automobile Cup Holders…. |
|
|
Greatest Hits $7.91 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed…. |
|
|
The Very Best Of Fleetwood Mac (2CD) $12.98 Spanning 1975-1997, Fleetwood Mac’s most commercially successful era, this collection contains 36 hit singles and favorite album tracks, including “”Go Your Own Way,”" “”Dreams,”" “”You Make Loving Fun,”" “”Rhiannon,”" “”Silver Springs,”" “”Say You Love Me,”" “”Over”My Head,”" “”Tusk,”" “”Don’t Stop,”" and “”Hold Me.”"No Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: FLEETWOOD MACTitle: VERY BES… |
|
|
The Best Of Buddy Holly: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection) $2.54 The 20th Century Masters series is the best-selling single-artist line in music history and is being re-released by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) in its ground-breaking, environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable, continuing the company’s long-standing commitment to being “green.”To … |
|
|
The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show Vol 1 $2.01 the best of dean martin shows vol 1 great shows on here… |
|
|
The Puzzle Place: Sing-Along Songs [VHS] $12.99 … |
|
|
Streamlight 73001 Nano Light Miniature Keychain LED Flashlight, Black $3.50 FEATURES Easily attaches to just about anything with pocket clip or key ring: 1 Up to 8 hours run time: 2 Machined aircraft grade aluminum with anodized finish: 3 Uses 4 alkaline button cell batteries included: 4 White LED bulb with 10 lumens: 5 Weatherproof: 6 Includes a non-rotating snap hook for easy one handed operation when atta… |
|
|
Fulcrum Multi-Flex LED Task Light, Silver $6.99 The superb brightness provided by LEDs makes these lights great for many uses. Use them as book lights, task lights, craft lights and more. Lightweight and efficient, these lights are ideal for reading while traveling. Great for crafts, including sewing and needlework, as well. LED lights will virtually last forever, making these lamps a far better choice than a traditional reading light. These la… |
Tags: design, reference, silver, silver very heavy, silver very high heel shoes, silver very light, silver very prive, silver very reactive, very, webdesign