If the wind of silverware prevails, the Miao nationality is the most important. In the Qingshui River, Duliujiang River and Wuyang River basins, the Miao people are a nation wrapped in silver. On Lusheng field beside Qingshui River, the silver ornaments worn by Miao girls weigh 10 kilograms. Guizhou is not the producing area of silver. It is undoubtedly a strange cultural phenomenon that Miao people, who are located in remote areas and have relatively backward economic development, choose silver ornaments as their own group. This phenomenon involves the essence of Miao culture such as totem belief, historical migration and folk life. Miao people's worship of witchcraft, the worship caused by animism and the witchcraft of "foster care" are isomorphic, which together construct the religious atmosphere of Miao society. Worship and witchcraft are fully embodied in Miao silver ornaments, especially the latter, whose special aesthetic consciousness directly affects the modeling of Miao silver ornaments, so there are silver ornaments such as drum nail silver forehead belt, drum nail silver bracelet and drum nail silver comb. Miao people believe that all sharp things can ward off evil spirits, and sharp-pointed drum nails symbolize lightning and light. Another example is the silver horn headdress, which is angular, but it is a dragon horn. The dragon in Miao folk customs mainly appears as a patron saint, and almost everyone believes that there is a dragon sheltering their village. Yinjiao is another wonder in Miao costumes. The big silver corner of Leishan Mountain is about 85 cm wide and 80 cm high. It is of primitive simplicity and the most ancient style. When wearing, white feathers should be inserted at both ends of the silver horn. Accompanied by the girl's dance steps, the feathers sway with the wind, making the silver horn light and elegant in the majestic beauty. The cave silver horn, also known as the silver fan, is named after four pieces of silver shaped like fan bones between the two horns. It is decorated with "Double Dragons Playing Beads" and "Double Phoenix Facing the Sun", which are lifelike. Between the silver pieces stood six phoenix birds, spreading their wings and wanting to fly, with butterflies on the top and drooping ears. The cave silver horn is the most beautiful work among Miao silver horns, and there are various silver horns such as Sandu style, Zhouxi style, Rongjiang style and Geyi style. Miao's silver crown, silver horn, silver phoenix hairpin, silver flower comb, silver collar, silver bracelet and tremella ornaments are all unparalleled masterpieces. Miao silver jewelry is rich in variety and exquisite in craftsmanship, which is world-class.
The silver ornaments worn by Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur, Kirgiz, Kazak and other ethnic groups have gorgeous aesthetic feeling. They are inlaid with coral, turquoise, amber, pearls, jadeite and other jewels, which are exquisitely made and advocate luxury. Tibetan metalworking skills were introduced by Princess Wencheng when she entered Tibet and passed down from generation to generation. Famous craftsmen came forth in large numbers and inherited the outstanding achievements of gold and silver mining, smelting and production technology in the Tang Dynasty. Tibetan craftsmen still maintain the traditional metalworking skills of the Tang Dynasty, and the patterns on their silver ornaments almost include all the decorative patterns popular in the Tang Dynasty. The silver ornaments of the Shui nationality are famous for their filigree, and their craftsmen are good at filigree and beading, and their craftsmanship is extremely fine. Aquarium women, dressed in Tsing Yi without embroidery and covered in silver, can also achieve the ultimate beauty. The Jingpo, Dai, Hani, Lahu and Yi nationalities in Yunnan all decorate their clothes with silver bubbles representing the stars and the moon. In folk beliefs, the stars symbolize many children and grandchildren, the moon is the goddess of fertility, and silver bubbles adorn costumes in order to pray for the prosperity of people and pass them on from generation to generation. Dong, Yao, Tujia, Zhuang and other ethnic groups also advocate silver ornaments, and their silver ornaments also have their own characteristics.
Silver ornaments, on the one hand, show wealth and beauty, on the other hand, have a deeper social significance: as a symbol of the nation, they play a role in maintaining the group. In the same branch of the same nation, people must wear the same silver ornaments; As the object of worship, it closely unites the descendants of the same ancestor; As a symbol of marriage, it brings good order to people's love and marriage life; As the object of witchcraft, it gives people a sense of security in life psychologically. Therefore, national silverware is not a simple ornament, but a cultural complex rooted in national soil.
Silver jewelry represents the highest level of metal technology, and its rich content in shape, pattern and technology is incomparable to other high-quality utensils. There is no traditional silver jewelry with unique shape, variety, rich patterns and exquisite craftsmanship. China people are far more enthusiastic and clever than other objects in making silver ornaments. The natural charm and eternal value of silver make people all over the world interested in it. Once they are recognized and used, they have been closely linked with human social life and have never declined. Like their own values, they are the "eternal" theme in the material world of art.