This cylindrical tobacco box represents a fraction of the wide repertoire of silver jewellery made, worn and exchanged by highland communities in northern Thailand. The box is made by soldering French Indo-Chinese coins (dated 1936) to the base and cover.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.
