Miao Necklace Counterbalance All A Japanese votive wooden mallet

A Japanese votive wooden mallet from a Shinto shrine

Scrolls like this were rotated through the home's tokonoma alcove with the seasons

Large Shigaraki jar with wonderful asymmetric shape

among the oldest of Japan's ceramic traditions

Miao Necklace Counterbalance All A Japanese votive wooden malletThe 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