Title
Pair of earrings with dangles
Year/Period
Early 20th century
Region
Northern Thailand
Object Type
Material
Dimension
Object size: 6.1 x 6.2 cm,
Object size: 0.4 x 3.8 x 2.4 cm
Object size: 0.4 x 3.8 x 2.4 cm
Accession No.
1993-00582
Collection of
These earrings represent a fraction of the wide repertoire of silver jewellery made, worn and exchanged by highland communities in northern Thailand. This type is worn by the Hmong and Lahu women.The Lahu and Hmong are ethnic minority groups who migrated into Northern Thailand from Burma and Laos during the 18th and 19th centuries. For many highland communities, silver was valued more highly than gold. Silver jewellery was a way of investing a family’s wealth to be passed down as heirlooms. It was also believed to have protective properties. Today, where security maybe a problem, silver is kept locked away while aluminium is used as a substitute.
