Miao Silver Jewelry from Western Hunan

Miao Silver Jewelry from Western Hunan

　　Miao women have a particular fondness for silver jewelry, as it symbolizes good fortune, brightness, beauty, and prosperity. During festivals, some Miao women adorn themselves from head to toe with an array of silver ornaments that sparkle brilliantly. The silver jewelry of the Miao people is most distinctive in areas such as Yayou in Huayuan. Here is an introduction based on the collections of the state museum and the basic features of Western Hunan’s silver jewelry:

　　　　I. Head Ornaments

　　　　1. Silver Headdress

　　　　The silver headdress, also known as the Dragon-Receiving Headdress, commonly called “Bird’s Nest,” and referred to in the Miao language as “Jiu,” weighs around 1,500 grams of refined silver and requires over ten artisans to craft. It is not something an ordinary family can afford—only one or a few villages might possess one, which can be borrowed when needed. The Xiangxi Prefecture Museum has a collection.

　　　　2. Large Silver Floral Flat Headdress

　　　　The large silver floral flat headdress was made in the early Republic of China period. It is circular, with a diameter of 60 cm and a weight of 470 grams. This headdress is worn by Miao girls as decoration when they do not wear a turban during spring, summer, and early autumn, typically used during festive occasions. When worn, the short tassels are in the front and the long ones at the back. Its structure consists of three main parts: the front and back are two semicircular pieces of silver sheet forming a circle, with the hollow center constructed from fine spiraled wire to create a dome shape. These three components can be disassembled. The top of the headdress is welded with designs of flowers, birds, fish, shrimp, dragons, phoenixes, and butterflies, adorned with lake-green and peach-red silk thread flower bunches, as if blooming flowers and green leaves cover the crown, complementing the silver and giving it both beauty and poetic charm.

　　　　3. Hairpin Silver Flowers

　　　　Hairpin silver flowers, called “Shushan” in the Miao language, are only worn during weddings, festivals, and the New Year. They generally weigh 40 grams and come in shapes such as Guan Yu’s broadsword, chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, peaches, chessboard flowers, butterflies, and the character for longevity, with lake-green and peach-red silk thread flower bunches hanging from them.

　　　　4. Hairpin Silver Toon Flower

　　　　The hairpin silver toon flower, called “Mubiya” in the Miao language, is a silver ornament that Miao women insert into their headscarves. It is especially popular among Miao women in Yayou, Huayuan, and neighboring Songtao in Guizhou. The bottom of the toon flower is the stem, the middle features butterflies, cranes, shrimp, plum blossoms, and crabs, adorned with red and green silk thread flower bunches. During festivals, market days, or when visiting others, the toon flower is inserted into the headscarf.

　　　　5. Silver Phoenix Crown

　　　　The silver phoenix crown is an ornament worn on the forehead by Miao girls under the age of 17 who are not yet married. It generally weighs over 180 grams and is 37 cm long. When worn, the crown forms a semi-arc on the head. Its structure consists of a single piece of silver sheet about 4 cm wide and 37 cm long. It is pierced with patterns such as multi-branch square-hole ancient coins, lotus motifs, plum blossom dots, and plum blossom blooms. At both ends are symmetrical butterflies and half circles. Suspended from the silver sheet are vividly crafted images of two dragons fighting over a pearl, a pair of phoenixes facing chrysanthemums, and various flowers and plants. At the lower end of the silver sheet are nine phoenixes with wings spread as if ready to fly, each with a beak holding a thin silver chain with three 5-cm-long tassels.

　　　　6. Children’s Headdress Ornaments

　　　　Silver ornaments for Miao children mainly include headdress pieces, bracelets, and chest decorations, but the headdress ornaments are the most diverse, exquisitely crafted, and lifelike in design. For example, a silver lion ornament weighs 135 grams. Beneath the silver piece is an octagonal circle composed of petals, with stars and plum blossoms drilled onto the petals, and above are lifelike silver ornaments such as butterflies, shrimp, crabs, fish, and flowers. The flowers, grass, insects, and fish are adorned with red and green silk thread flower bunches. In the center is a round silver plate with a silver lion. The lion is realistically shaped, covered with engraved patterns, and its mouth, ears, body, and tail are decorated with silver whiskers. With a slight shake, the whiskers tremble, making it incredibly vivid.

　　　　II. Neck Ornaments

　　　　1. Hoop

　　　　The hoop, called “Guogonggen” in the Miao language, is also known as the “Twisted Root” collar due to its slender form, referred to in the Miao language as “Kaowogen.” It can be worn alone or paired with flat hoops or coiled hoops, and is a primary silver neck ornament.

　　　　A small hoop requires about 300 grams of silver, while heavier ones weigh around 700 grams. The middle section is twisted into a wavy loop, with hooks at both ends—a male and female coupling—with 10–20 raised silver ridges wrapped around the hook handles to enhance its beauty.

　　　　2. Flat Hoop

　　　　The flat hoop comes in five loops and serves as the mid-layer neck ornament. The largest outer loop weighs about 133 grams, followed by 121 grams, 111.5 grams, 104 grams, and 94.5 grams. The center has a veined pattern with chrysanthemum motifs, and both ends have male and female coupling hooks.

　　　　The flat hoop is one of the neck ornaments Miao women enjoy wearing during festivals. A full set consists of five hoops. Miao women in Huayuan wear the flat hoops on their chests, with the larger ends in front and the smaller in the middle, referred to as “Hagao,” meaning hook. Miao women in Fenghuang wear the flat hoops hooked at the back of the neck, with the engraved sections on the chest, featuring small ends and a large center, making their unique style particularly distinctive.

　　　　3. Coiled Hoop

　　　　The coiled hoop, also called the “Stacked Plate Collar” and referred to in the Miao language as “Kaowozhu,” comes in versions with either five or seven loops. It is the third layer of neck ornament. Shaped like a compass, it is thus named the coiled hoop. Because each loop overlaps the other—largest at the bottom, then progressively smaller—it is also called the stacked plate collar. Each loop is engraved with floral and grass patterns for added beauty. Both ends have male and female coupling hooks. The coiled hoop was an ornament for Miao women before the Qing Dynasty and is now quite rare, making it very precious.

　　　　4. Shawl

　　　　The shawl, also known as a cloud shawl, is a silver ornament worn by Miao women draped over the neckline of their clothing.

　　　　A shawl generally requires about 1 kilogram of silver to craft. Typically made with a satin base, the silver ornaments are sewn onto it, showcasing fine craftsmanship and representing the finest of Miao silver jewelry.

　　　　5. Children’s Collar

　　　　The child's collar is made of over a hundred grams of silver, about the size of chopsticks, and engraved with simple patterns. When worn by a child, a silver chain often hangs from the collar down to the chest, with a kidney-shaped silver lock dangling from the end of the chain to ward off evil spirits.

　　　　In addition, there are other typical silver ornaments such as those worn on the front and back of the body, as well as silver bangles.