Silver Crown with Phoenix Tree Flower, Phoenix and Bird Designs

Location: Museum of Ethnic Cultures, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China Date:1980s Place of Origin: HuangPing, Gui Zhou Province, China

Traditional Miao culture headdress for wedding. The handicraft skills of making silver headress like this aretifact is a current intangible cultural heritage since the handmade production process is extremely conplicated. Including molten silver, forging, wire drawing, press die, pinch flowers, knitting, engraved and welding. The whole process usually take about few month to a year to produce one headdress only.

Miao headdress usually are using for young female’s wedding, thus the elements used usually means to memorialize the Miao’s ancestors while anticipating a future of happiness and prosperity. At the same time it can also inherit to next generation.

Here is a video dipicting the Miao Silver Jewllery https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1PE411w7ac?vd_source=0f2df2fab9a942fefa35ac25f8276fa8