Yao Silver Head Piece, Based

Three strips of silver, gone blue and bronze, standing where a person's head would be.

This head piece is Yao, from Guangxi, China, made of silver in the early 20th century and shown on a base. Yao women in southern China wear silver head ornaments for festivals and weddings, where they mark a woman's family, wealth and sometimes her marital status. Three long, flat bands rise side by side, curving outward at the bottom and held by two pairs of thin cross-wires. Each ends in a folded, boxlike edge. The surface shines with iridescent blue and brown tones. Sixteen inches high and 8.5 wide.

Heavy, one suspects, and worn anyway.