Stones of the Grassland’: Incorporate Inner Mongolian Cultural Heritage in jewellery

<p dir="ltr">This paper is part of the first author’s PhD project ‘Wearable Memories: Contemporary Jewellery Practice Based on the Study of Nomadic Culture in the North China’. It is an investigation inspired by animal motifs of prehistoric rock art in Inner Mongolia, China. <p dir="ltr">Today, the nomadic lifestyle and traditions of Inner Mongolia are disappearing; however, their art and culture are unique and inspiring. While numerous studies exist on the cultural heritage of Inner Mongolia and its influence on contemporary art, it is scarcely evident in the field of contemporary jewellery. Based on the identification of a ‘core aesthetic’ of Inner Mongolian nomadic culture visible in the Yinshan Rock Art, this paper introduces practice-based research which investigates animal motifs from Inner Mongolian rock art and recuperates and revivifies them through contemporary jewellery practice. <p dir="ltr">This research aims to commemorate, recall and preserve the memories of Inner Mongolian nomadic culture by infusing its aesthetics into contemporary jewellery. The principal research question proposed for this project is: How can contemporary jewellery practice incorporate the traditional aesthetic values of Inner Mongolia? <p dir="ltr">The methodology employed in this practice-based research builds on the historical and theoretical study of Yinshan Rock Art and involves both ethnographic and auto-ethnographic methods. This paper starts with a short overview of the contemporary jewellery movement highlighting the Chinese context, followed by the historical review of animal forms in Yinshan Rock Art as a key inspiration and research process for a body of contemporary jewellery. The creative process is elucidated with visual aids and the presentation of the final pieces.