Artist&Technique

Po & BreathFlow

Po is a collaborative partner of the BreathFlow silver jewelry project. As an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Liangshan Yi silver-making techniques, he began silversmithing in his teens and has continued to this day. His dedication of time and emotion has honed his mature craftsmanship. Every piece of BreathFlow silver jewelry is crafted by Po in his home workshop, where a combined workbench is filled with various tools. His wife assists him with processes like acid washing and polishing.

Each BreathFlow silver piece bears traces of handmade artistry, such as welding seams, grinding marks, and hammering impressions, symbolizing its uniqueness. Touching the products allows one to feel the raw power of the material and engage in a wordless dialogue with the artisan—a genuine and pure experience.

Technique

The Yi silver ornament crafting technique is a traditional skill from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, and it is also one of the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in China. The Yi people are among the earliest ethnic groups in China to smelt and cast silverware, and their silver ornament crafting technique boasts a long history dating back thousands of years. Silver ornaments hold a significant place in Yi culture, serving not only as decorative items but also as symbols of identity and status, with the functions of warding off evil and praying for blessings. The crafting process of Yi silver ornaments is intricate and labor-intensive, involving multiple steps such as casting, blowtorch heating, forging, welding, weaving, cleaning, engraving, and inlaying. Artisans begin by weighing silver material on a balance, melting it into liquid, and pouring it into lead molds to cool into silver bars. These bars are then hammered into various shapes of silver sheets using specialized tools. The silver sheets are pressed into molds to form the basic shape of the silverware, and finally undergo over a dozen or even dozens of processes, including gluing, carving, hollowing, welding, polishing, and finishing, to create a beautiful Yi silver ornament.

Yi silver ornaments feature a rich variety of patterns, including natural elements such as the sun, moon, and stars, flowers, birds, fish, insects, mountains, rivers, plants, as well as motifs like ram horns and butterflies. These patterns symbolize auspiciousness, happiness, and a beautiful life. The silver ornaments are characterized by vivid shapes and smooth lines, showcasing the exceptional craftsmanship and unique aesthetic sensibilities of the Yi people.