Who are the Miao?

Do you think it’s possible to wear 30 pounds of pure silver jewelry from head to foot? Well, the Miao are a fascinating group of people who make huge silver ornaments literally from head to toe! As an ethnic group living in the mountainous areas of south and southwestern China, the Miao believe silver is a symbol of wealth and can bring them good luck. 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. The headpiece spans about three feet from one horn to another, and reaches almost the same height. So they are nearly half the height of the wearer!

The pictures on the horn are colorful and showy. They often sport a beautiful design of two dragons playing with a ball. Women place a pair of white feathers onto the horn to make it higher and more beautiful, or adorn the horn with some silver flowers and butterflies.

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, the silver hood sports five beautiful ornaments, with the biggest one at the center hanging from the forehead and the others falling around ears.

A silver hood features three layers in other areas. The highest layer sports 29 sparkling, round silver flowers. The middle layer features a round glass in the center, and 14 warriors riding horses stand on each side. The lowest layer is made up with fringes.

Silver hairpins

Miao silver hairpins always feature flowers, birds, and butterflies. The most impressive designs feature about 10 silver flowers placed 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. It's in fact a wooden comb covered with thin sliver slices. The image of a Bodhisattva, or designs of birds, flowers are often engraved on the surface. Some combs have long silver chains hanging down.

Silver earrings

Intricate Miao silver earrings are crafted to resemble flowers, birds, butterflies, dragons, or plants. Miao women usually wear 3 or 4 pieces of silver earrings at one time. Reaching directly to their shoulders, a single silver earring can weight 200 grams. But many earrings are quite small, and the fine threads used to make them are almost 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. The neckbands vary in different 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 features 14 silver rings linked together, with silver butterflies or birds hanging from each ring.

Silver bracelets

The Miao silver bracelets are engraved with the images of flowers, fish, or dragons. A heavy, wide band is the characteristic of some bracelets. Miao women usually wear 4 or 5 pairs of 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. In some areas, Miao women wear rings on all eight of their fingers, keeping only 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 usually 44 main silver pieces that can be used, all of which are square or round shapes.  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 ward off evil spirits.