侗族银饰制作 (Dòngzú Yín Shì Zhìzuò)
Dong silver ornament making is the silversmithing tradition of the Dong ethnic minority (侗族 Dòngzú) of Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi — closely related to Miao silverwork but with a distinct aesthetic vocabulary. The Dong tradition is characterized by open-work sheet silver (镂空 lòu kōng) — thin silver sheet pierced with intricate geometric and bird motifs using a fine chisel and punch — and by the distinctive fish-scale pattern (鱼鳞纹 yú lín wén) achieved by stamping overlapping curved impressions with a small domed punch. Dong ornaments are typically flatter and more geometric than Miao ornaments, reflecting a different aesthetic tradition from the same geographic and cultural zone. The openwork piercing technique requires maintaining structural integrity across the full sheet while removing up to 60% of the silver area.
Risk level: Endangered · China National ICH List (2008)
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