ດາວບ໌ ຍ້ຽ / Dawb Nyiaj
Hmong silver ornament making (Dawb Nyiaj — 'work in silver') is the silversmithing tradition of the Hmong people of northern Laos — closely related to Miao silverwork (CRAFT-0367) but with distinct Lao Hmong aesthetic characteristics: heavier gauge silver, a preference for large statement pieces over intricate filigree, and a specific set of New Year ornament types — the large neck collar (tsho — worn by women at Kin Chieng), the bridal headdress with silver coins, and the protective amulet pendant (necklace with silver locks, fish, and butterfly forms). The procedural knowledge centers on the neck collar making — a thick silver tube formed by hammering sheet silver around an iron rod, soldered along the seam, then bent to the neck curve and decorated with applied granulation and wire elements. The Lao Hmong tradition uses a higher proportion of casting than the Chinese Miao tradition — pendants and amulet forms are primarily cast, not fabricated.
Risk level: Endangered · Not separately inscribed; embedded in broader Hmong cultural heritage
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