Silver Ornaments of the Miao Ethnic Group

There is a great demand for Miao silverware but all the craftsmen are amateurs who can often only work during the farming off season. Then in some regions unique "silver villages" or large compound silver workshops appear.
Because the Miao silverware producing regions have no natural silver resources, the hardworking Miao people used to melt almost all the silver coins and ingots they earned. This led to different levels of silver purity as currencies differed from region to region. From the 1950s, the government began to regularly allocate special silver to the Miao people to as a sign of respect for their tradition and customs.

The design of the silver decorations is largely inspired by other art forms such as embroidery and wax printin. The silversmiths consistently improve and enrich the patterns while keeping the traditional designs.
The rich varieties, elegant patterns, and exquisite craftsmanship not only demonstrate the colorful world of Miao people's art, but their spiritual life as well.