ငွေကောင် (Ngwe Gaung)
Shan silver ornament making (ငွေကောင် ngwe gaung) is the silversmithing tradition of the Shan people of eastern Shan State — centered in Kengtung (Kyaingtong) and strongly influenced by adjacent Tai Lue, Thai, and southern Chinese silver traditions. The Shan tradition is distinguished by its emphasis on openwork (cut-through silver sheet) combined with repoussé — a combination where the repoussé relief is visible through the adjacent openwork negative spaces, creating a complex interplay of positive and negative form characteristic of Shan jewelry aesthetics. The central ornament forms are the Shan betel box (kun-it), decorated with naga and peacock motifs in low repoussé surrounded by openwork floral borders, and the Shan women's necklace with graduated pendant forms in stamped and repoussé silver.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Myanmar national ICH list
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