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Who are the Miao?
How do you feel to wear 30 pounds of silver ornaments from head to toe? Well, the Miao are a fascinating group of people who make huge silver ornaments 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 feature three different parts: the horns, the hood, and the hat.
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 patterns of the horn are quite impressive. An image of two dragons playing with a ball is often carved on it. Women like to put a pair of white feathers onto the horn to make it higher and more impressive, or decorate the horn with other kinds of silver jewelry like butterflies and phoenixes.
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. Behind the hat hang twelve pieces of silver feathers that can hang 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, there are five glistening ornaments placed on the silver hood, with the biggest one in the middle falling from the forehead and the others dropping around ears.
And in other areas, a silver hood has three distinctive layers. The highest layer features 29 round silver flowers. The middle layer has a round glass in the middle, and 14 warriors riding horses 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. In the flowers are some beautiful, glistening beads, and around the center are five silver phoenixes.
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. Patterns of flowers, birds, dragons, or the image of a Bodhisattva are usually carved on the surface. Some combs feature long silver chains falling down.
Silver earrings
Fabulous Miao silver earrings can be in the shapes of flowers, birds, butterflies, dragons, or plants. Miao women often wear 3 or 4 silver earrings at the same time. Reaching directly to their shoulders, a single silver earring can weight 200 grams. 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. There are various neckbands in the Miao areas.A dragon silver neckband has the image of two dragons playing with a ball and about ten various ornaments falling 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 feature wide bands which is like the cuffs worn by warriors in ancient times. Miao women usually walk around with their arms almost overloaded with 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 wear rings on all eight of their fingers, only leaving their thumbs free. Some rings reach 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 the front and back of a silver garment, the clothing gleams bright and catches the light when the Miao walk.
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 images sparkle beautifully when the Miao dance with the waistband around their waist.
Silver anklets
Last but not least are small but sturdy silver anklets that clasp above the foot. Miao children wear silver anklets to keep off evil spirits.
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