Wu Yong Sheng

China

Year(s) attended: 2010

Jewelry and Silver Work

Among the Miao People of Guizhou Province, the tradition of silver work dates back to the Ming Dynasty of 1368-1644, when silver coins were melted down and turned into jewelry.

Personal ornaments worn daily – as well as more elaborate ceremonial pieces – remain a significant part of Miao culture to this day, and there is a great deal of continuity in both the tools, techniques, and the social meanings of individual items.

The work of master silver artisan Wu Yong Sheng features images stamped out into positive relief using a technique called repoussé.

These images convey the history, beliefs and hopes of the Miao people, including a number of animal designs such as the shape of the butterfly which is worshipped as an original ancestor of the Miao people, the shapes of frogs and fishes which carry hopes for fertility, and other animals which symbolize the social status of those who wear them.