Dong Miao Tribe Silver Necklaces Apron Counterbalance Knob Conical Jewelry CHINA

2 large pieces. Vintage and beautiful. They belong in a museum! Large silver dress fastener hook with ornamentation. Ornament worn on the back. The Dong and Miao people of southern China began melting down standardized silver to make jewelry starting around the 14th Century. Their work is as distinctive as it is beautiful. Unmarried Miao women might wear up to 20 lbs of jewelry at festivals, and a counterweight like this one made it easier for women to wear their jewelry without affecting their balance. The knobbed form of this particular counterbalance is unusual; typically these take the form of a two-dimensional S shape. Scholars contend that silver is used to ward off evil in the Miao culture. Further, the spirals represent the interminable essence of life. 19th/20th century