NFT Digital Twins: A Digitalization Strategy to Preserve and Sustain Miao Silver Craftsmanship in the Metaverse Era

Abstract

Miao silver, generally referred to as the unique silver ornaments manufactured by the Miao ethnicity with over 400 years of history, was listed as a Chinese national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. Through primary research methods, including local investigation, interviews, and workshops at Maliao Village in Guizhou, this study found that sizeable industrial production shrank the market needs for traditional Miao silver handicrafts. A growing number of young Miao people pursue higher incomes and leave their hometowns to make a living in cities instead of engaging in Miao silver handcrafting in villages. Based on the difficulties encountered in the inheritance of Miao silver craftsmanship, this project creatively proposed a digital strategy based on the NFT digital twin application to preserve and maintain Miao silver technology in the context of the metaverse era. By conducting design experiments combining digital technology and the traditional Miao silver manufacturing techniques, a collection of NFT digital twins, digital duplications of Miao silver handicrafts that Miao silversmith jointly worked with 3D technologist, was created as a vital research outcome. The results show that this attempt is beneficial to help expand the use scenarios, extend the lifespan, and increase the commercial value of Miao silver. To sum up, taking Miao silverware handicrafts as a research case, this paper dialectically discusses the relationship between industrial manufacturing and traditional handicraft industries, making contributions to the inheritance and development of Miao silver and also putting forward innovative solutions to promote the prosperity of intangible cultural heritage worldwide.

1. Introduction

Miao silver is generally referred to as the unique silver ornaments manufactured by the Miao ethnic group, a group of linguistically related peoples living in Southern China and Southeast Asia. The history of Miao silver can be traced back more than 400 years. In the long-term evolution, Miao silver has been recognized as a symbol of wealth and endowed with richer cultural connotations, including amulets, legendary totems, marriage tokens, and so-called “wearable history books” by researchers [1]. From the introduction of the Museum of Guizhou Miao Autonomous Prefecture, it is known that the Miao silver ornaments have three aesthetic characteristics: large size, a large number of pieces, and heavy weight [2]. It also reflects the multi-dimensional connotation of the economy and culture behind the Miao silver handicrafts. A single Miao silver earring weighs around 200 g, and some heavy accessories, such as the Miao crown, can exceed 8 kg. Moreover, the Miao people are keen on a complicated decorative style by wearing multiple pieces of overlapping jewelry. The research insists that, although it has excellent attainments in artistic expression and handmade techniques, its inheritance and development are hindered by the complex body forms and techniques unsuitable for the modern lifestyle and fast-paced commercial mode under the industrial society.

Significant development of a new industrial revolution is described as conflicts that take place on a digital dimension and growing human-machine interaction. The “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, a term coined by the World Economic Forum, refers to an era characterized by a fusion of technologies that blurs the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres [3]. Indeed, from transportation to engineering, entertainment, finance, communication, sports, and art (the list could expand almost without limit), a large-scale sphere in human life is continually changed and shaped by technologies to obtain higher efficiency and convenience [4]. The changes and conflicts in how we live have been very drastic in the city, not to mention ethnic minorities living in remote areas, where people insist on inheriting traditional lifestyles generation by generation. Cultural heritage is born when many foreign cultures and local cultures are engaged in dialogue, and the self-sufficient local ecological artistic circle has been broken [2]. In urbanization, industrialization, and globalization, such a dialogue is inevitable, and the disintegration of their traditional living customs and working methods has been accelerated [5].

However, the industrial revolution and the development of new media do not constantly threaten cultural heritage inheritance. In fact, it also brings new opportunities to prompt the cultural sustainability of Miao silver. Characterized by a rapid epochal shift from a traditional industry established by the Industrial Revolution to an economy primarily based upon information technology [6], the new media era featured the invention of Metaverse maps. It transcended the real world into a digital living space by using blockchain and digital technology. Based on blockchain technology which enables NFT to be fully traceable, the NFT digital twins can create a digital copy of physical products, assets, or systems that share their data with the original physical version [7]. The significance of NFT may lie in something resembling genuine human society based on free markets (for goods, services, and ideas), independent ownership, and social contracts to flourish in the metaverse. According to a Bloomberg Intelligence report [8], there will be an annual metaverse market of USD 800 billion by 2024, and a compound annual growth rate of 41.7 percent is expected for the worldwide metaverse market between 2021 and 2030. The considerable business potential motivated by metaverse innovates the way that handicrafts are preserved, auctioned, and resold [9], thus inheriting Miao silver craftsmanship.

1.1. Aims and Objectives

The cultural heritage embodied in crafts is a valuable asset for any ethnicity [10]; the investigation of this study finds that Miao silver has been invaded by alien culture, and exposed to the threats of losing its own cultural authenticity, weakening its commercial performance and sustainable inheritance. At present, many studies in the literature [11,12,13] indicate and prove that NFT-integrated solutions would build an authentic, transparent, and higher-efficiency traceability system and ownership management solution via blockchain smart contracts, integrated tokenization protocols, and decentralized storage spaces, which have laid a research basis for raising the idea of using NFTs as a strong tool to protect and develop Miao silver craftmanship in the virtual crafts market.

So, this study aims to explore a new way of preserving and sustaining Miao silver by adopting a digitalization strategy and NFT digital twins. This paper explores how digital-based design and making approaches have rebuilt the way of Miao silver crafting and how the digital twins expand the use scenarios, prolong the lifespan, and increase the commercial value of Miao silver. To be more specific, the following research questions have been explored in this paper:

• How do digital twins and blockchain technology contribute to crafts heritage protection and innovation?
• From the perspective of cultural sustainability, what are the advantages of this integration for local craftsmen and the local community?
• What are the potential scenarios and applications that the digitalization strategy on Miao silver brings?

1.2. Research Values

The research values can be measured from two perspectives. From a microscopic perspective, this research helps local handicraftsmen expand design and production media, approach the broader markets with younger consumers, and obtain higher incomes to improve their living conditions. Meanwhile, the research gives an in-depth investigation of ethnic minority culture and a critique of the contradictions between humans, nature, and technology. From a macroscopic perspective, the development of technology worldwide is bringing damage and violence to the inferior party reconstructed during the process of urbanization, industrialization, and globalization. The vision of the research is to protect the interest of the local community, maintain cultural sustainability, and provide the case of Miao as a problem-solving strategy.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Overview of Miao Silver Handicrafts

Miao silver is generally referred to as the unique silver ornaments manufactured by the Miao ethnic, a group of linguistically related peoples living in Southern China and Southeast Asia [14]. The history of Miao silver can be traced back more than 400 years. The earliest silver decoration art of the Miao nationality sprouted in the witchcraft totem activity. The Miao family believes that silver can drive away evil spirits and evil spirits. In ancient times, Miao people wore a silver collar, which is said to be able to defeat evil and ensure the family’s safety [15]. In the history of Miao nationality, natural disasters, wars, and other factors forced the Miao people to carry out many long-distance migrations from central China to southwest mountainous areas, so they had to cast silver coins into ornaments that they could easily wear at any time [16]. Then in the long-term evolution, Miao silver has been recognized as a symbol of wealth and endowed with richer cultural connotations, including amulets, legendary totems, marriage tokens, and so-called “wearable history books” by researchers [1].

From the introduction of the Museum of Guizhou Miao Autonomous Prefecture, it is known that the Miao silver ornaments have three aesthetic characteristics: large size, a large number of pieces, and heavy weight [2]. It also reflects the multi-dimensional connotation of the economy and culture behind the Miao silver handicrafts. A single Miao silver earring weighs 200 g, and some heavy accessories, such as the Miao crown (shown in Figure 1), can exceed 8 kg. The weight of a whole set of silver jewelry is 12–13 kg, and depending on the craftsmanship, the price ranges from CNY 70,000 to CNY 180,000 [17]. Moreover, the Miao people are keen on a complicated decorative style by wearing multiple pieces of overlapping jewelry (shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3). However, one researcher argues that, although it has excellent attainments in artistic expression and handmade techniques [18], its continuation and development are hindered by the heavy and complex body forms unsuitable for the modern lifestyle.

The making and processing of Miao silver ornaments are usually performed by hand in family workshops. As their customers require, the silversmith first makes the melted silver into thin sheets, silver bars, or silver wires, then makes exquisite patterns by pressing, cutting, and carving, and finally welds or weaves them into final pieces [19]. According to the dictation of Kongbai villagers, almost every household in the village was making silver ornaments decades ago because there was a big market demand by both local Miao people and people outside of the town [20]. However, the lifestyle of the Miao people has undergone tremendous changes in modern society. As a result, the market demand for Miao silver is greatly reduced. Miao people no longer use Miao silver as dowry in their marriages but use money directly. The aesthetic appreciation of traditional jewelry has also turned to the market monopolized by western luxury giants [18]. Even in the local area, many Miao craftsmen use traditional techniques and appliances to create an imitation Cartier bracelet. On the other hand, due to the rise of large industrial production, cheaper and cheaper machine accessories have replaced expensive handicrafts, resulting in a decline in the supply end of Miao silver. A growing number of young Miao people pursue higher incomes and leave their hometowns to make a living in cities instead of staying in Miao villages and engaging in Miao silver handcrafting, resulting in the dilemma that inheritance and development of Miao silver craftsmanship have been almost cut off [2].

2.2. Defining a Metaverse for Sustaining Intangible Cultural Heritage

Digital technology does have a substantial negative impact on the traditional handicraft industry, but it also accelerates the development of the industry and brings new opportunities. Since Facebook changed its name to Meta [21], the metaverse has attracted much attention from both industries to academia. Dr. Dong Haoyu of Peking University [22] defines the metaverse as a virtual world that is mapped and interacts with the natural world by technological means, thus creating a digital living space of a new social system. There are three features indicating the identity of metaverse [23]: the existence of a virtual layer over a real one; the shared experience of said environment among users; the interactive nature of the incident, which can allow for a cyber-physical action to be carried forward jointly by various users. This indicates that although the existence of the metaverse relies on digital technology, it is still a mapping and reflection of natural society.

The digitalization of cultural heritage is a way to transform cultural relics from entities into digital forms for better preservation of cultural relics, which is of great significance for the protection, conservation, restoration, research, dissemination, and promotion of diverse cultural heritage. Hans d’Orville [24], Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the UNESCO International Center for Creativity and Sustainable Development, said that advanced technology had enabled the preservation of cultural heritage in various forms and with unique styles. For example, 3D modeling technology can be used for the restoration, recording, conservation, and education of cultural heritage; UAV equipment can be used to obtain images of cultural heritage for assessing the preservation of cultural heritage. Michele Brunero, a famous Italian architect and professor at Politecnico di Milano, believes that expressing a particular cultural heritage in the metaverse means creating a new dimension for it [25]. It is a physical infrastructure for people to access cultural heritage information and digital infrastructure. For example, because of its young characteristics, the metaverse can significantly help attract young people to pay attention to traditional culture.” From this basis, it is reasonable that metaverse can be used to authentically document cultural heritage and enrich its preservation form, application fields, and interactive media to a vaster market.

The decentralization of the metaverse is the reconstruction of the order of human living space, the reinterpretation of existing communication methods, and the future direction of Internet development [26]. In the reconstructed digital cultural area, it is an opportunity for the public to deeply understand the past civilization to reconstruct the interaction between people and cultural heritage, reproduce the functions of cultural heritage in the past, and see the panorama of cultural heritage in the virtual world. Wherever the metaverse era of cultural heritage goes, it reminds us to protect cultural heritage, use cultural heritage in accordance with requirements, and continue the harmonious coexistence of people and cultural heritage.

2.3. NFT Digital Twins: Digitalization of Miao Silver

The digitalization of handicrafts can generally be divided into digital production and digital preservation. The added value and opportunities brought by digital technologies to crafts design tends to be mapped in relation to enhanced efficiency, creativity, interactivity, and customization [27]. The application of digital technology to the production of handicrafts does not mean that human hands would be replaced by digital tools, but instead use them in the phases of conceptualization, design, and making craft objects: computer-generated imagery (CGI), laser cutting, quick response (QR), motion capture, 3D scanning, and additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) among others [28]. 3D prototyping is one of the great examples that artisans could benefit from, providing efficient communication with consumers and saving the potential cost from the multiple prototyping stage [29]. Moreover, the study of Alivizatou [30] indicates that 3D visualization and interaction technology can be used in demonstrating the handcrafting process. For example, motion capture technology can be used for detailed recording of hand and finger movements during production, such as in pottery [10]. Digital technology could be used in documenting and preserving the knowledge of handicrafts and then in the education of the next generations.

A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a blockchain, a digital ledger. NFTs can be associated with reproducible digital files such as photos, videos, audio, and 3D files. Combining digital production and digital preservation, NFTs transform digital works of art and other collectibles into one-of-a-kind, verifiable assets that are easy to trade on the blockchain. “Non-fungible” more or less means that it is unique and cannot be replaced with something else [31], which is very similar to the non-replicability and uniqueness of handicrafts. The production of handicrafts costs time, materials, and long-term skill precipitation of the craftsman while minting NFTs happens on the blockchain in a digital world. According to market tracker Nonfungible.com [32], the total sales of NFTs worldwide in November exceeded USD 11.9 billion, 128 times that of the same period a year ago. The high price and booming market make NFTs a possible solution for artisans to gain higher income from the digitization of handicrafts, which would motivate younger generations to study handmade skills and save cultural heritage from dying. In addition, the NFT also protects the ownership of the creator. NFT creators can take advantage of this since NFTs can be designed to pay their creators a cryptocurrency fee every time they change hands [33]. NFTs help protect intellectual property rights, which is difficult to practice in the traditional handicraft industry.

It is worth noting that NFTs are widely recognized as having outstanding contributions to protecting the authenticity of cultural heritage and preventing plagiarism. This is because blockchain technology is described as a decentralized and immutable shared ledger, which can be applied to various business settings involving transaction processes [34]. The advantages that lay in blockchain are high efficiency, security, traceability, invariability, transparency, and accessibility of data sources, which have drawn a lot of attention and caused significant repercussions in the art market [12,13]. The NFT artwork contains a particular type of encryption token, which cannot be exchanged or removed. In other words, a simple copy-and-paste mechanism can be carried out on the Internet for those usual artworks, bringing negative effects on the economic and cultural rights of the creators. However, this technology can solve the problem of secret copying and counterfeiting. In addition, NFT digital twins and Miao silver have some subtle common grounds based on their irreplaceable attributes, so it is a proper method to sustain the Miao silver craftsmanship heritage with NFTs.

However, these so-called sustainable digital assets composed of code without physical materials have gained question. Just as the supply chain and transportation mode need to be considered when evaluating the sustainability of fashion products, the carbon emission calculation of NFT artworks also needs to be viewed from the whole creation process (particularly called “minting”) and circulation channels [35]. Since most NFTs are created on Ethereum, they also use the same amount of carbon emissions as needed to mine cryptocurrencies. It is estimated that each time an NFT is created and sold, it will produce a carbon footprint of 48 kg of carbon dioxide [36]. As a technical issue, the cryptocurrency sustainability tracking platform, after Ethereum upgrade 2.0, can improve energy efficiency by about 2000 times, reducing energy consumption by approximately 99.95% [7]. At the same time of technological innovation, digital art platforms and artists aware of the pressure of NFT works on the environment have also made corresponding measures to balance the carbon emissions generated by works by investing in “carbon offset” such as renewable energy and environmental protection institutions [37]. Therefore, NFT is still overall at its beginning stage. With improved eco-minting procedures, NFT is widely believed to be the future of art with colossal commercial, cultural, and social values.

3. Methods

Using a Research through Design (RtD) strategy, the researcher adopts a series of primary design methods to explore the possible digitalized attempts on Miao silver handicrafts to find an inheriting way for cultural heritage in the metaverse era and discover the symbiosis between handmade and digital technology. The research is mainly developed in two distinct phases. This first part focuses on determining the research scope, object, and gap of the study via both primary and secondary research methods. First-hand research, including observations, workshops, and semi-structured interviews with local Miao silversmiths at Maliao Village, allows for the objective comparison of participants while also allowing them to explore topics spontaneously relevant to those particular participants. Workshop, highlighted as a primary research method, is designed to build an intensive channel allowing silversmiths to collaborate with digital technologists to create a digital cipher version of Miao silver digital twins that can be preserved, auctioned, and resold in the metaverse. The second research phase is practice-based and problem-solving-oriented. Based on the research gap put up forward in the first stage, the paper seeks a wide-angle and interdisciplinary view to exploring the digitalization of Miao silver handicrafts with 3D modeling, AR/VR, and blockchain technology.

Overall, this study is designed as a mixed study with theoretical and practical methods. Research through RtD is the primary approach in this study, conducting scholarly research that employs design practice methods, practices, and processes to generate new knowledge [38]. In the practice of RtD, various research methods integrating humanities research, ethnography, primary source digital documentation, observation, investigation, and cross-media design experiments have been adopted to explore new and valuable knowledge to further attempts to protect Miao’s silver craftsmanship.

3.1. Observations

The observation method is used to observe and describe the behavior of an event, a group of people, or an environment [39]. It is a primary way of collecting relevant information and data. In this paper, unstructured observations were conducted under two scenarios: the daily life of locals and the working image of silversmiths in Maliao Village. The researcher observed and documented the contents, including but not limited to the village’s landscape, natural environment, weather/climate, customs, etc. Local cultural geography was taken into solid connections to the study context. However, it should be noted that the observation method is subject to time and place restrictions, which leads to relative uncertainty in the research outcome. The observation part of this study took place in October 2021. Videos and photos were provided as an additional traceable visual document that could be processed in the analysis and findings stages.

3.2. Workshop

As a research method, the workshop aims to use domain-related cases as the main study context and allow participatory learning to encourage problem-solving exploration. In this study, the workshop is, on the one hand, authentic, as it focuses on exploiting the talents of participants and motivating them to create related to their interests. On the other hand, the workshop is specifically designed to meet a research purpose: to produce first-hand, reliable, and valid data about the research questions [40,41,42]. A workshop with silversmith Master Yang Chang’gan is organized. By conducting the workshop, the researcher could immersively get involved in the production process to obtain first-hand information and deeply communicate with the participants to get research questions answered.

3.3. Semi-Structured Interview

Since semi-structured interviews combine both structured and unstructured interview formats, they could offer the advantages of both. They allow for the objective comparison of participants while also allowing them to spontaneously explore topics relevant to those particular participants [43]. Compared with the serious, 100% structured interview, the semi-structured interview with local Miao people is relatively more relaxing and friendly, enabling them to hear honest thoughts about themselves. However, some academics have warned that semi-structured interviews may not provide a rigorous and objective conclusion. So, in this project, the outcome of the semi-structured interview is used to assist in concluding, but not the primary basis.

Three interviewees participated in the semi-structured interviews.

Table 1. Participants’ information.

Name	Age	Gender	Ethnicity	Occupation	Use of Digital
Lee Weizhe	17	male	Miao	silver-apprentice	social media
Yang Chang’gan	37	male	Miao	silversmith	e-commerce
Sun Miaoyin	70	male	Miao	silversmith	no use

below illustrates their essential background of them. They contribute to extensive research evidence as they are from different age groups and hold different opinions on digital technology and handcrafting experience. The semi-structured interviews follow a prepared question pattern, which is listed in

Table 2. Interview questions.

Questions

How long and since when have you been doing this work in the handicraft industry? Do you inherit it from your family? Whom do you inherit from? Is your product mainly for the local Miao consumers or for outsiders? How do you obtain the orders? How do you develop your business and sell your product? What about the income? Are you satisfied with your income? Do you know any digital technologies? Have you been getting involved in any usage of digital technologies? If possible, are you willing to use some digital technologies in the handicrafts? Do you want your handicraft work to be more commercial or artistic? If a designer does a re-design of the traditional Miao handicrafts, do you feel offended?

. All participants in the interview stage have signed the consent form and are aware that the interview will be audio/video recorded. They understand that they have given approval for their opinions to be included in the research outputs. All of their interview contexts are used in the later analysis stage.

4. Local Investigation

This section illustrates a perspective of combining subjectivity and objectivity to explore the status of Miao silver cultural heritage and aims to locate the research gaps through a series of field investigations at Maliao Village, known as the “silverware village”. The village has a small population of 700, 95% of whom are Miao ethnic [44]. Inheriting silver forging skills from generation to generation, the silver handcrafting skill has been inherited for thousands of years. It is listed as the first batch of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. There are over twenty silver studios and farmhouses in the village for visitors to participate in the silver-making process.

4.1. Maliao Village

Maliao village is located in Xijiang Town, Leishan County, Qiandongnan Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China. Maliao is 15 km from Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, where the town people’s government is stationed, and 53 km from Leishan County. The terrain of Maliao Village is mainly mountainous, with an average altitude of 970 m. The village’s total area is 3.71 km², with 556 mu of arable land, including 501 mu of farmland, 55 mu of soil, and 0.79 mu of arable land per capita. The village comprises 4 parts (Shangzhai, Xiazhai, Xiaozhai, and Xinzhai) and 10 villager groups, with 165 households and 702 people, including 645 ethnic minority people, mainly Miao people [40]. Villagers have always been engaged in processing silver ornaments, known as the “Silversmith Village”. According to the report [45] of the People’s Government of Leishan County, the per capita net income of Maliao Village has increased from less than CNY 2000 in 2010 to CNY 18,110 in 2020. Currently, 70% of the village’s income is from silver handicrafts and homestay tourism.

Due to the limitation in terrain, Maliao village has an undeveloped transportation system. The only public transport to Maliao Village is a daily shuttle bus from Leishan County. The tortuous mountainous road to Maliao village is very rugged and dangerous, and few vehicles are on the way. Only some local old Miao people walk on the mountain road driving sheep or carrying some necessities they bought from the nearest town. The local people explained that there was only one small shop in the village because of the small population. Local people must go to the market more than ten kilometers away to buy everything they need. However, many old people have to walk back and forth because they lack transportation.

Located in a valley, Maliao Village has typical Miao-style architectural features. The stilted building (shown in Figure 4) is an ancient architectural form unique to southern China. The second half is built on the slope with a large inclination, and wooden columns support the first half to form stilts, called “Stilted Buildings”. The stilted building can be divided into half-stilt and full-stilt. Generally, there are three floors: the upper floor stores grain, the middle floor houses people, and the lower floor stores sundries or closes livestock. After observing the village, it is obvious that Maliao shows a very primitive lifestyle with fewer traces of modern infrastructure.

4.2. Silver Studio

When arriving at Maliao Village, it was the morning of a working day. Surprisingly, the “Greater Silversmith Village” is exceptionally silent and depressed. Most houses look as if they have been uninhabited for a long time, and only a few villagers dressing in traditional costumes can be seen, most of whom are over 70 years. The plan was to interview several silversmiths in different studios. However, almost all the silver studios were closed, and nobody was working. Locals told us that since Covid sharply decreased the number of visitors, most silversmiths quit the silver business and worked in cities.

Finally, a silver studio opening in an insignificant courtyard was found. Three silversmiths warmly invited us to have lunch with them and participated in the silver manufacturing experience. This silver studio was founded by Pan Shiyue, a rewarded young “silver craftsman master” and a state-level representative inheritor of silver forging technology (Miao silver forging technology). The functions of the studio are divided into two parts. The room on the right is a display area, displaying many previous works of masters and small silver ornaments being sold, and on the left is the working area, where two or three silversmiths are tinkling with silver.

In the display area (Figure 5), most goods are silver ornaments with traditional Miao characteristics. Jewelry, teapots, and other handicrafts are carved or decorated with natural elements such as dragons and phoenixes, flowers, clouds, etc., and use highly sophisticated filigree techniques. However, it is still interesting to see part of traditional handmade Miao silver jewelry carved with international luxury brands’ logos (shown in Figure 6), such as Louis Vuitton/Cartier, for the sake of catering to the preference of consumers. It indicates evidence that the traditional culture in the free market competition is declining, facing the hit of western consumerism.

The working area (see Figure 7) is a small and dim space where many old tools are put here and there. According to the silversmith, the manufacturing stage of Miao silver consists of 30 processes from the beginning to the end, including casting, blowing, forging, welding, knitting, inlaying, scrubbing, and polishing. The main tools for making silverware include a melting furnace, wind box, hammer, pliers, chiseling tools, spray gun, welding gun, blowtorch, crucible, and steel tape. Materials such as waste silver products, silver flour, solder pot, clay, soap lime, and dry soil are commonly used. The silversmithing workshop is designed to better understand Miao silver handicrafts and to access a proper connection joint with this study. The workshop has two purposes: First, it invites a local Miao silversmith to experience digital technology as part of the handcrafting process. As an auxiliary means, the integration of digital technology assists in reducing communication costs and minimizing waste in the traditional prototyping stage. Second, as a participant, the researcher could immersively experience the production process from beginning to end and feel the pleasant and handicraft spirit. Therefore, a bridge between the silversmith and the researcher has been built to an in-depth understanding of the integration between handicrafts and digital technology, thus facilitating subsequent conversations and interviews.

Cooperated with silversmith Mr. Yang, the workshop was divided into four procedures (Figure 8). The first part was to invite Yang to participate in the digital design stage of Nomad 3D software. It was the first time the silversmith Yang had been engaged in 3D software and digital technology, so the researcher offered simple instructions on basic moving, rotating, and carving operations to Yang. In the second part, a flat pattern was drawn and cut on a silver sheet with appropriate thickness for forging and polishing. Next, loads of hammering and sculpturing were performed to create petal curls as similar as they could be in the 3D version. Silversmith Yang first quenched the polished silver and made it soft. Then under his instruction, the researcher used many tools to bend the silver sheet. This process with a 3D visual was easier than forging directly without any reference. When dealing with the detailed shape of petals, the 3D model offered various views to be checked during the shaping stage. In the last part, silversmith Yang helped the researcher to weld the treated petals together and stamens with metal and polish them with chemical reagents to make the surface smooth and shiny.

4.3. Silversmiths

Taking people as a vital part of the observation, their wearing, behaviors, family structures, and working performances have all been included in this part. It is noticed that people have always been in the central role of leading the inheritance of handicrafts. The most evident phenomenon is the interaction between the old and younger generations. However, the interesting phenomenon is that the inheritance between the generations is no longer full of absolute authority but completed in reflection, rebellion, and transformation.

A 17-year-old Miao boy was practicing with a silver bar in the silver studio (Figure 9). Being an apprentice, he sometimes got blamed by the master, Yang, for his unconcentrated behaviors, such as browsing TikTok videos on his smartphone. It makes sense that a young boy shows more interest in the colorful world outside rather than punching the silver bar repeatedly in the small village. However, the boy also takes responsibility as an online social media operator for the silver studio to promote the handmade silver product, expand influence and connect consumers to obtain more orders. A similar division is also seen in local Miao families, especially between mother and daughters. Compared with the old-time when the younger generation was forced to learn and inherit handicraft skills, inheritance now is more democratic, and the younger generation has the freedom to choose whether to inherit or not. With the development of industrialization and the increasing labor cost, traditional handicraft products have been weakened. Even if a few Youngs are willing to devote themselves to handicraft activities, most choose to work in cities to obtain a higher income and better living conditions.

The conversations with the three interviewees are closely bonded to the ten interview questions, but each of them talks about their own experiences and opinions. According to their responses, the two elder silversmith artisans doing handicraft production have been doing the work since they are around 15 years old by learning the techniques from the old generations in a family. There are subtle rules that silversmithing techniques are inherited from male to male, reflecting traditional labor division due to the different gender physical characteristics. However, the interviewee mentioned the situation had changed now, and more females started learning Miao silver techniques. Another finding is that digital technology, especially social media and e-commerce platforms, has enabled them to expand the retailing channel into selling their handicrafts around China. Even though the interviewee, Mr. Sun, is over 70 years old and not good at using smartphones, his daughters assist in selling silver pieces online.

All interviewees have mentioned that the cost of handcrafting dramatically rises due to the increasing labor cost. However, the market demand for handicrafts has shrunk due to the hit of massive machine-made goods in market competition. So, the most urgent dilemma is that the products made by artisans who spend a lot of materials and time cannot be sold at a reasonable price, which makes the handicraft industry a complex and money-losing business, and further leads young people to abandon their inheritance of traditional handicrafts. Therefore, under such circumstances, all three participants expressed their great hope to see designers or artists use Miao handicrafts for innovation and reconstruction to meet the changing demand of today’s market and obtain more economic benefits.

4.4. SWOT Analysis of Miao Silver Handicrafts Industry

SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a framework used to evaluate an object’s competitive position and to develop strategic planning. SWOT analysis assesses internal and external factors, as well as current and future potential. By collecting the information from primary research, a SWOT analysis tool is adopted to illustrate the overview of the Miao silver handicraft industry status (see

Table 3. SWOT analysis.

Strength Unique cultural features Miao silver has a long history and features with its unique aesthetics, which is highly recognized as a strong cultural symbol. Superb silver-making techniques Miao silver is famous for its superb craftsmanship. The filigree technique stretches the silver wire to 0.26 mm thin and uses it to make shapes such as flowers, birds, etc. Government policy support Miao silver, as an officially certified intangible cultural heritage, has been supported by the local government with many beneficial policies.

Weakness Geographic limitations The location of Miao village is blocked, mostly in remote mountainous areas, which are not convenient for transportation and commercial activities. Lack of innovation Its design and manufacturing have followed the traditional pattern for a hundred years, with few changes and innovations, greatly hindering its modernization development. Weak brand influence Based on family workshops, Miao silver lacks brand management and marketing strategy, resulting in weak competitiveness in the free market.

Opportunity Rise of digital technology The digital-tech brings more efficient ways for silversmiths to produce, and the digital-tech may expand the use and retailing scenarios of handicrafts. New media era and metaverse Blockchain tech and NFT brings a new format of how handicrafts are preserved, sold, and auctioned. Gen-Z consumer culture confidence Chinese young consumers attach great importance to cultural self-confidence and patriotism, and they are keen to pay for traditional culture.

Threat Massive industrial manufacture The cheap large-scale industrial production has brought cheap products, which has squeezed the market living space of traditional handicrafts. Influence of consumerism Product brands and consumerism dominated by the West also affect people’s preference for jewelry selection. Post-epidemic era The travel restrictions and depression in the post-epidemic era caused the decline in the local tourism industry and weakened the tourism economy.

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The research and analysis above show that the Miao people have been actively seeking development to improve their living standards. They have transformed the restricted geographic factors into advantages by developing bridges, roads, high-tech projects, tourism, and culture industries and seeking a sustainable development model. However, there are also some problems this way. Blindly misappropriating different cultures harms flimsy local cultural heritage, which easily worsens the quality of the handicrafts. In general, the above research discovers the most significant pain point faced by Miao artisans: the poor economic benefits, leading to severe issues about the unsustainability of cultural heritage. Referenced the local poverty alleviation strategy through technology, the study puts forward a reasonable attempt to use digital tech innovation in the future of Miao handicrafts.

5. Digitalization Experiments on Preserving Miao Silver Heritage

This section answers the research questions by doing a series of practice-based experiments with digital prototyping, digital twins, and potential future AR/VR applications. The digitalization aims to virtualize the Miao silver jewelry, expand the production, presentation, circulation, and retailing of physical handicrafts, build a closer relationship with young consumers, and meet the market demand of the metaverse era.

5.1. Digital Prototyping

A full set of Miao silver accessories is around tens of kilograms and is only worn during Miao’s new year and marriage occasions, so the market demand is limited. However, the Miao silver headdress is indeed the symbol of Miao culture. There are flowers, dragons, and phoenix patterns on it, showing the highest level of the Miao silver techniques. A set of the most classic Miao phoenix crown and neck collar is selected to build a digital version. It puts forward the practical content of restoring Miao silver by 3D means with a wish to preserve Miao silver techniques, market the handicrafts to young generations and bring higher income to the silversmiths.

By analyzing the composition of the silver headpieces, it is clear that the object is composed of many repeated elements. So, the modeling strategy is to focus on a single element and replicate them together. The surface of the silver craft is undulating with many tiny faces, making it difficult and time-consuming to carve the volume accurately. Another major discussion was made with a game designer, Lu Min, about the modeling techniques. Normal mapping was suggested in describing the details on the model surface. Software including 3DSMax, Houdini, Substance Painter, and KeyShot has been used in the modeling process.

Modeling is divided into five steps (see Figure 10). Firstly, 3DSMax is used to make independent repeating elements. This step is quickly shaping the geometric shapes. However, it is difficult to imitate the lightness of the silver texture. Then, the second stage is called UV Unwrap. Considering that the purpose of the model is to display the elements visually, Houdini is chosen to perform the UV unwrap automatically. The Substance Painter tool is then applied to draw normal mapping in the third stage. The software can display the normal channel’s view to remove the normal bump’s details. Returning to 3DSMax again, the fourth stage is to re-shape the elements together as a whole. At last, Keyshot is used to complete the rendering effect when the reflecting environment, colors, and materials are created to restore the texture of materials (see Figure 11 and Figure 12).

5.2. Minting into NFT Digital Twins

The rendered 3D model is exported in video format as a solid visual language for display. To help the original creator silversmith make profits through the digital version of silver jewelry, NFT has become the primary way to achieve this goal. The literature review part expounds on the cultural and economic value behind NFTs and their non-replicability and uniqueness, which are highly similar to handicrafts. So, the author chose the Open Sea website as the publishing platform. Open Sea is the world’s first and largest digital marketplace for crypto collectibles and NFTs. Digital works can be bought, sold, and auctioned. In the setting of NFT intellectual property attributes, the person who sets the virtual asset under the auction of the artwork will also have the right to obtain the physical silver jewelry version, and 30% of its auction income will belong to the creator, the silversmith. The NFT work is now listed and waiting for buyers for ETH 0.03 (around USD 60). The selling page on Open Sea is shown in Figure 13.

It should be noted that minting an NFT is not free. Generally speaking, the cost of casting an NFT consists of two parts: gas fee and market fee. The cost depends on different blockchains, platforms, market conditions, and minting time, ranging from USD 0 to more than USD 300. In addition, the cost is linked to the price of the cryptocurrency because gas fees are charged in cryptocurrency, and the cost will be relatively low when converted into legal currency in a bear market. The purpose of minting NFTs is to sell, so it is helpful to consider the marketing expenses and the cost of creating works of art. Therefore, in order to maximize profits, how to reduce the minting cost is a tricky point that easily gets ignored in practice. Except for choosing a free or relatively cheap blockchain platform, users need to understand the fluctuations and trends of the market as much as possible so as to choose a relatively cheap opportunity for minting. Moreover, websites such as https://ethgasstation.info/ (accessed on 1 January 2023) can also help to obtain calculated information about the possible cost. However, overall, the development of the entire blockchain technology is still at an early stage, and the future minting costs will be adjusted accordingly with the development of technology.

5.3. Potential Meta Applications and Future Fashion

The digitalization strategy based on Miao silver heritage protection brings more potential applications to the future of fashion in the metaverse. By replicating and restoring Miao silver handicrafts with 3D scanning and modeling techniques, the digital twins greatly expanded how the handicrafts are preserved, auctioned, and resold, thus facilitating an enhancement in the income of Miao silversmiths and the sustainable inheriting of craftsmanship. NFT digital twins are one of the forms that Miao silver could exist in the digital world, but there are still many interesting interactive ways that digitalization strategy can help in cultural heritage protection. It is vital to build a communication bridge between traditional handicrafts and young consumers, helping this intangible cultural heritage to self-inherit and develop with the power of the market.

Digital fashion will be a bigger picture with the intervention of cultural heritage. According to the previous literacy, it is known that the decline in traditional Miao silver jewelry in contemporary society can be owned to the rise of large-scale cheap industrial products and the change in lifestyle, which makes the conventional handmade silver products lose many original uses and wear scenes. However, when putting the digital version of Miao silver product into the meta-scene and digital fashion context, consumers will have many different applications that can interact with Miao silver. Figure 14 illustrates how the Miao silver elements can interact with consumers in the future scenario of fashion.

AR and VR are widely used to build interactive digital fashion products. Digital fashion frees unlimited self-expression from physical limitations, and consumers can freely wear accessories to state their cultural confidence. To extend the existing form of Miao silver heritage, online games, social media, and newly risen decentralized communities can be good channels to provide occasions for users to wear and experience Miao costumes and silver heritage digitally. Some 3D effects and filters are able to add a touch of glamour to these traditional handicrafts with more futuristic aesthetic features, thus making cultural heritage more accessible for Gen-Z consumers.

6. Conclusions

When transferring from entity to virtual, the specialties of Miao silver have not been lost. From aesthetic and crafting perspectives, the paper still insists on keeping authentic Miao patterns, traditional Miao decorative styles, and superb Miao silver-making techniques via 3D modeling. In the process of disassembling, analyzing, and reconstructing the existing Miao silver handicraft structure, the 3D technologist’s work could be described as digital-handmade, which sustains and practices the traditional Miao silver craftsmanship by digital means. Additionally, it is also a reflection of how intangible cultural heritage adapted to the development of present productivity levels in changing eras. From the cultural perspective, the digitalized Miao silver still plays a role as a typical cultural symbol of Miao ethnicity, conveying subtle cultural implications to younger generations. The yearning for a better life and the respect for the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature behind it will not disappear because its existing form changes from entity to virtual.

The aim of protecting Miao silver is to inherit and sustain its intangible craftsmanship embodied in the beautiful ornaments instead of only preserving solid items. Therefore, the criterion for inheriting its success lies in whether we have found the “soil” and “innovation model” suitable for the development of Miao silver in the new digital era. This is not only about whether more and more Miao silver crafts have been 3D-copied, but more about whether its recognition among younger generations has been improved, whether it adapts to new ways of wearing suitable for present society, whether more silversmiths have well-paid due to their hard works, and whether more youngers have been inspired to participate in the practices of this heritage. Therefore, the value of this paper is more about building a “soil” by using a digitalization strategy in the metaverse era instead of simply carrying the item from entity to virtual.

The integration of handicrafts and digital technology reflects an oriental philosophy in solving conflicts in urbanization, industrialization, and globalization. From the perspective of technique, the combination of digital technology and handicrafts is a breakthrough in product innovation, encouraging artisans to create handicrafts that match the new demands of consumers. From economic considerations, the cooperation between artisans and creative technologists complements each other’s strengths to be more assertive in market competition and obtain higher financial benefits. To local silversmiths, learning and adapting to new technologies expand their horizons and prolong their career span. Digital technology saves material waste and reduces the communication gap with consumers, thus bringing a considerable increase in income. For the local community, the researcher proposes a way of making use of digital technology to promote ethnic culture. In other words, cultural sustainability would be maintained by minimizing the shrinkage of the handicraft industry. Moreover, the case study of the Miao community is a typical example of inheriting cultural heritage under the conflict between industrial civilization and agricultural civilization on a global scale.

6.1. Limitations

The main limitation of this study is the lack of sufficient statistical data and quantitative assessment. The research methods chosen in this research show a relatively high subjectivity. In the parts of semi-structured interviews and observation, only three participants are fully engaged in the research contents. It is a small sample size in social science studies, so their opinions only represent themselves but not the whole Miao ethnic. In the research development and evaluation stages, research outcomes are not proven by statistical data. For example, discussing the NFT work would bring commercial benefit to the artisans, but there is uncertainty about whether the NFT artwork can be sold or how much it can be sold.

Another limitation is the difficulty in practicing. The discussion on the combination of digital technology and handicraft in this paper is based on the default that the two can be combined through some channels, ways, and methods. However, in reality, there is a gap in fulfilling the integration at the practice-based level. Most artisans are not able to operate digital software to digitalize their work, while most technologists living in cities do not have the chance to speak to the artisans. In order to promote the combination advocated in this paper, local government organizations, art organizations, or charity groups might be a good helper in building the bridge in cultural communication.

6.2. Plan for Future Work

A long-term research plan has been proposed based on the limitations mentioned above. First, a large-scale investigation based on interviews, questionnaires, and observation helps build a more reliable outcome. Both quantitative and qualitative research are adopted comprehensively. The NFT artwork will be monitored and analyzed to evaluate the economic value in the long term. The practice-based outcome is going to be developed into broader applications. Digital handicrafts could also be turned into the application of digital retailing, display, AR, and VR to obtain closer interaction with young consumers. The market feedback is also taken into further analysis.

The paper works as a starting point to illustrate the guideline and rationality behind the project. To promote the cooperation fully practiced by artisans and technologists, the researcher also needs to search relevant cultural heritage organizations to jointly promote the implementation of the project, thus bringing benefits to both artisans and the development of cultural sustainability.