Headwear

The Miao ethnic minority mainly lives in the border areas of provinces in southwest China where they speak their own language. Farming is their main source of income supplemented by hunting. Their cross-stitch work, embroidery, brocade, batik,papercutouts and handmade ornaments, etc are world-famous for their elegant techniques. The headwear of the Miao ethnic minority is made entirely of silver, with many varieties.

Their headwear includes silver horns, fans, caps, kerchiefs, silver hairpins, pins flowers, chains, combs, earrings, and bonnet ornaments.

Silver Horns

Silver horns are usually decorated with a raised pattern of twodragons playing with a ball. Girls put chicken feathers on the two ends of the silver horns which look beautiful blowing in the wind and increase the height of the wearers.

Silver Caps

Elegant silver caps are used by the Miao ethnic minority for dressing up. They are made from numerous silver flowers and silver bells with various patterns such as birds, butterflies and animals, giving an impression of pearls and jadeall over the head.

Silver Kerchiefs

The Miao sew five hollow silver flowers onto red and green striped kerchiefs. The middle one is bigger and placed on the forehead; the other four are smaller and placed in front of and behind the ears. The flickering silver and the flowery colors of the cloth complement each other beautifully.

Silver Clasps

The Miao ethnic minority's silver hair clasps have many different designs although most of them feature flowers, birds or butterflies. Their themes are very varied; for example flowers may be single or double-lobed, in bunches or bundles, dense or sparse, and in various designs and sizes. The style may be fine, slim and delicately beautiful, or more classically simple and heavy.

Silver Pins

The Miao people wear silver pins in various ways. The Miao who live in Longli City wear pins made of three silver balls, with three silver bells hanging off each ball. The whole pin is inserted behind the bun. In Shidong City their pins are shaped like dragonheads in various sizes. Big pins are worn during festivals, and small ones are used in daily life. They are inserted horizontally right through the top bun, with a section of the clasp protruding sideways.

Silver Chains

The Miao people's silver chains are a kind of hair clasp. Typically, they are made of a five-stranded net chain, fixed by pins. The five silver chains spread out like a net, covering the bun.

Silver Combs

Silver combs are both a tool to comb and flatten the hair and an adornment. They are usually wooden and covered with silver - except for the comb prongs - with various decorative silver patterns on the back. The style may be complex or simple with elegant patterns such as flowers, birds, dragon, and deer.