This neck ring represents a fraction of the wide repertoire of silver jewellery made, worn and exchanged by highland communities in northern Thailand, which include the Hmong, Lahu, Akha, Lisu, Yao and Karen. Large neck rings were worn in tiered sets or with a chain and pendant known as a ‘soul lock'. This type is worn particularly by the Hmong, Yao and Akha.Silver jewellery was a way of investing a family’s wealth to be passed down as heirlooms. It is also regarded as having protective properties. Young children wear a silver neck ring with a ‘soul lock’ to protect them against illness. The pendant or ‘soul lock’ is believed to prevent the soul from leaving the body.The Hmong, Yao and Akha are ethnic minority group who migrated into Northern Thailand from China and Laos during the 18th and 19th centuries.
