Hmong Silver Pāʻū Moʻokūʻauhau by Zehui Ni

Hmong Silver Pāʻū Moʻokūʻauhau by Zehui Ni is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Lole Keaka a me Lole Hoʻoilina Competition Category.

KalaHoʻolālā Lole Keaka· 2024

Hmong Silver Pāʻū Moʻokūʻauhau

by Zehui Ni

Client: Jing Que

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Hoʻolālā Lole Keaka Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #159597

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Hmong Silver Pāʻū Moʻokūʻauhau

Ua aloha ʻia ma nā wā o Qing a me Ming, ua puʻipuʻi ʻia nā pāʻū moʻokūʻauhau Mamian no ko lākou hoʻohālike ʻana i ka mana a me ka ikaika. ʻElua ʻenehana maikaʻi loa ma ka moʻolelo Hikina: ka piʻi kāhuli ʻōmaka a me ka hana lima kīlā Hmong i lilo i kahua no kēia hoʻolālā. Ke loaʻa iā ʻoe kekahi pāʻū moʻokūʻauhau Mamian, ua like ia me ka loaʻa ʻana o kekahi ʻāpana o ka mea huna Hikina. He hoʻolauleʻa ia no nā mea kupaianaha o ke ao kīhāhā, ka noʻonoʻo maiau o ke kanaka, a me ka imi mau i ka nani e piʻi aʻe ma luna o nā wā a me nā moʻomeheu.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Hmong Silver Pāʻū Moʻokūʻauhau i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Hmong Silver Pāʻū Moʻokūʻauhau he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā Hmong Silver Pāʻū Moʻokūʻauhau e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Popular in the Qing and Ming Dynasties, the Horse-Faced Mamian skirts are beloved for their symbolism. The stallion has long symbolized power, strength, and virility. Wearing a horse-faced skirt was a revering statement for sophistication and wealth.

The Mamian skirts were worn by Empress Dowager Cixi in the Qing Dynasty and Princess Diana. Today, they are worn as a day to day garment in Asia and a symbol of cultural pride.
Dimensions & Packaging: Length: 103 cm
Width: 45 cm
Depth: 5 cm
Tags: Hmong Silver/ Oriental / Pearl Inlay / Mamian Skirt / Horse-faced Skirts
Production Technology: This project is utilized through fabric and woven methods to resemble the pearl inlay technique using Hmong silver designs.
Design Challenge: There are myriad of stories hidden within its lustrous folds, these silver artifacts are passed down from generation to generation, linking the old with the new, the past with the future. Each intricate pattern is inspired by nature and the cosmos, a delicate dance of the earth and stars, intertwined with tales of love, resilience, and triumph.

In its gleam, we honor the hands and hearts that have breathed life into this ageless tradition through the design. Finding a reflection of humanity's eternal quest for meaning, connection, and beauty.
Research: Two exquisite techniques are used as inspiration for this design, pearl inlay and Hmong silver.

Pearl Inlay is traditionally a furniture technique made from the iridescent inner lining of pearl oysters and abalone, this meticulous technique is both a testament to artisanal skill and nature’s splendor.

The artistry of the Hmong silver knows no boundaries of time. Forged by the hands of skilled Hmong artisans, the Hmong silver work is a distinctive expression of intricate stories, myths, and aspirations, that speak of the Hmong connection to the land, ancestors, and future generations.
Inspiration: A brilliant dance between two exquisite techniques in oriental history : mother of pearl inlays and Hmong silver craft serves as the foundation for this design.

Imagine the very essence of the sea - the allure of its depths, the mysteries of its shimmering inhabitants - captured and rendered into tangible, breathtaking pieces for everyday wear.
Project Duration: 12 Months, Changsha, China
Operation Flow: The Hmong Silver Heritage Skirt is designed for modern wear, from casual to ceremonial. The intricate pearl inlay and silver craft details invite closer inspection and conversation, transforms into a canvas of cultural storytelling, weaving together the past and present in its elegant folds.
Image Credits: Yuxi Li
Zehui Ni