I went to a metalsmith workshop and joined Mr. Pan's Miao style silver jewellery course last week, and I immediately fell in love with the filigree of Miao's bronze drum pattern. Mr. Pan is from GuiZhou, China, who has been working as a silver craftsman more than 25 years and has made numerous of Miao style crafts and jewellery. Miao's bronze drum pattern varies in different Miao tribes and families, and it shows not only the fineness and beauty of the pattern itself, but also contains historical and traditional meanings and messages.
以前從來沒有特別注意filigree，即使看到它的物件，也並不會特別留意。並非不喜歡它，而是我對於物件本身的3D造型與結構的興趣，遠超過物件表面的2D裝飾圖樣。至於為什麼被潘師傅的filigree作品吸引，我想除了是苗族特有的圖樣之外，花紋的精緻度，令我這個第一次接觸filigree技法的孤陋寡聞鬼大大開眼界！
上課，就會有作業，就……。
After Mr. Pan's demonstration, it's our turn.... .
i・m・b・a・l・a・n・c・e。秤・不平。
（i'm balanced。平。）
（imbalance。不平。）
I didn't take the photo of the set of two - it's a scale. The two plates are different to each other in all aspects - the length, the shape, the weight, and the distance to the fulcrum. As well as this, the lever has contrasting ends too - a straight, well-shaped end, and a forged, descending end. Even the fulcrum location would change if making the hanger (for the lever) with a different material (and I couldn't figure out why)!
它們倆是一對，是一組秤，應該是要掛上秤桿一起拍；不過瞧瞧設備……以後補上：P
它們是一組平衡的不平衡秤，秤盤的形狀與重量都不一樣，垂吊的長度與支點的距離也都不對稱；而支點的平衡位置刻度，竟然也會因應掛勾的材質而變化……
「沒有什麼是絕對公平的，於是人們不停地衡量計算，維持著那微妙也危險的平衡。」
Hopefully I could take some nice photos of the scale in the exhibition. Here's the original look of the plates:
秤盤剛成形的樣子。
