Description:
A pair of large (about 9 cm. long) but delicately worked  silver earrings.

Each earring consists of a filigree top between a hoop and dangling chains. The end of the hoop is not soldered but bent backward double curve, which is flexible enough for one to slip through the hole of the ear. The filigree top is made of delibrate and intricate ornamental wire work. It is shaped like a rounded top of a pagoda; 15 pendants are connected to the base of the filigree pagoda. Each pendant consists of linked small rings with one or two hollow cones at the end.

Made by Loge Nyupu, born 1965, Meigu County.  Loge, his family name, means "Smith".

 See:
"Mountain Patterns" by Stevan Harrell, Bamo Qubumo, and Ma Erzi. 2000. Fig 5.12, pg 42.

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Description:
Two silver earrings; shanks soldered to top which is convex and shows a design of eight leaves, four smaller leaves placed over the eight and ending in a sphere in the middle. The shank holds a "doughnut" shaped green stone attached through the hole in center. The shank is open with a tuibular hole at one end, the other being pointed to fit into the hole.

How constructed:
hand pounded into a petal shape.

Use:
Yynuo young woman's traditional ear ornaments.

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Description:
A pair of long silver earrings consisting of a large loop bent closed. An additional bending creates a loop from which dangles a long four sided, square, silver braid. The top of that loop supports a narrow silver band soddered into four small loops in front of large round loop which goes around the ear.  This style is very popular in Butuo County.

How constructed:
The earrings are hand pounded and shaped.

Use:
Adu young woman's traditional earrings. They are worn on the right and left ears. Some people add a dark green jade ring on the buckle as a decoration.

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Description:
Two silver loops, open, consisting of a silver band that slightly widens and comes to sharp point at one end. Outside of loop is decorated with pounded floral and geometric designs.

How constructed:
hand pounded.

Use:
Traditional woman's earrings in the domain of the Shama ruler of the  Jinyang area

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Description:
A pair of very elaborate silver ear ornaments, with a total length of over 12 centimeters. Main part of earring consists of a solid silver piece in triangular shape to which are attached eight pendants. The attachment occurs at the bottom of the triangle which is 4.5cm wide. There are eight spheres soldered onto the solid plate along with curved and coiled decorations. A solid open hook, "S" shaped, is soldered to the back of the triangular shape.

All pendants are identical: 2cm from top there is a coiled spiral on either side of chain, Four centimeters down a small filigree bead is inserted, followed by 3.5cm of chain, a repeat of the coiled motif and a link of 3cm long chain which ends in a flat silver cutout shape 2cm long.

Use:
Silver earrings, probably from Meigu, purchased from Erbu Shiha 1999, a pawn shop owner. Maker unknown.

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Sight and Sound:
Young women wear these bright silver dangly earrings that contrast with their brown skin and the dark blue or red of their collars. As they walk, the earrings make a faint tinkling sound.

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Wires and Beads:
The master silversmith Shama Qubi made this bracelet, one of a set to be worn on the two wrists. The round silver balls he made by melding silver in a tiny cauldron, and the wires that attach the balls to the main bracelet were probably made by his apprentice, drawing strands of silver through a succession of smaller and smaller holes in a draw-plate.

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Description:
Silver ring with adjustable shank, inlaid with a cabochon shaped yak bone. Bezel surrounding bone is set off by rows of small silver ropes and four clusters of four silver spheres each set cross shape around ring.

How constructed:
The silver ring is hand pounded and inlaid with a disc made of yak's patella. The yak's bone is a substitute for "Hluma" bone of a kind of animal said to have lived on snow capped mountains. It is said that an ancient bracelet in the Yynuo area was also made of the bone of this animal. The bone was ground into small discs and strung on a string. However, this kind of bracelet is quite rare today.

Use:
Yyuno young woman or man's traditional ring. It is worn on the ring finger.

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Description:
A silver shield design ring.

The band of the ring is 0.3 cm wide. It is filed a straight edge and bent to a circle which overlapped at both ends. The plate is worked into the shape of shield, which is decorated with little dots, lines, half-circles in repousse. The repousse design forms a geometric pattern. There are 4 chased motifs of circles in the center. The plate is then soldered onto the band in the middle. Both Yi women and men wear silver rings.

This is a woman's ring, made by Loge (Smith) Nyupu (born 1965) of Meigu County.

See:
(see pictures on page 192-193 in The Yi Nationality of Liangshan Mountain, 1992) 

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Description:
Silver ring, adjustable shank, green stone with silver stud through it. Bezel is set off by several rows of incised silver ropes.There are four clusters of four spheres each placed cross shaped around ring.

How constructed:
The silver sing is hand pounded and inlaid with a green bead (mone) on the top.

Use:
Traditional young man's or woman's ring in the Ganluo area. The ring is usually worn on the ring finger.

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Description:
Silver ring, saddle shape, adjustable width, top and bottom of front show perforated pattern, middle a floral design pounded into the silver.

How constructed:
The ring is hand pounded into the shape reminiscent of a  saddle, hence the name.  Much of the design is executed by repoussé.

Use:
Shynra young woman's traditional saddle ring. Women usually wear two saddle rings, one on the middle finger and the other on the ring finger.

See:
"Mountain Patterns" By Stevan Harrell, Bamo Qubumo and Ma Erzi. 2000. Fig 5.17 pg 45.

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Description:
A pair of identical saddle rings,shanks are adjustable, a linear design pounded into rings along outer edge, center shows a floral pattern.

How constructed:
The ring is hand pounded into the shape of a  saddle, hence the name.

Use:
Shynra young woman's traditional saddle ring. Women usually wear two saddle rings, one on the middle finger and the other on the ring finger.

See:
"Mountain Patterns" By Stevan Harrell, Bamo Qubumo and Ma Erzi. 2000. Fig 5.17 pg 45.

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Description:
Collar plate of silver, rectangular in shape. Center shows eight repoussed conical shapes in vertical placement on either side of which are two bands in a zigzag design. On the left are two holes. Next to the zigzag bands, on either side, are two bands of bars placed one over the other, horizontally, 24 in each column, space in between. Columns are separated by a narrow band, also zigzag design. The entire plate is framed by a narrow band showing lines of dots. Back of plate shows the perforations as well as a silver hook placed in the center.

Use:
Worn as a decoration and fastener at the front of the collar.  Owned by Jjizze Keqi, sold to Erbu Shiha, bought from Erbu Shiha 1999, a pawn shop owner. Maker unknown. Keqi was from Lianghekou Township, Xide County.

See:
"Mountain Patterns" by Stevan Harrell, Bamo Qubumo, and Ma Erzi. 2000. Fig 5.14. Pg 43. For example.

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Description:
Woman's stand up collar of red cotton fabric bound with black cotton at upper end. A cardboard stiffener is placed in between front and back layer. Three rectangular silver plates are sewn on to the collar. Two plates show a stamped and punched pattern, the third a different geometric design,measuring approx. 6.2cm in length and 3.2cm in width.

The collar buckle made of copper overlaid with silver measures 7.5cm X 4.7cm and is executed in a geometric pattern showing a center area of solid silver with 5 raised points and smaller points placed vertically. On either side of central area is a field of nine bars placed horizontally with spaces in between.

The buckle is framed by a border 0.5cm wide decorated with small points. The back has a hook to attach to the loop at the opposite end of collar for closure. Bottom of collar is unfinished.

How constructed:
The plates are pounded out of pure silver ingots. The base to the clasp is pounded out of copper, and the silver covering soldered on. Made by Loge Nyupu and his wife of Jiejy clan, Meigu County.

Use:
Collar for a woman's jacket, worn either every day or on special occasions.

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