MSI272

PAIR OF KAREN TRIBE SILVER HAND-FORGED “CUP” EARRING PLUGS
OLD – USED – ORIGINAL

PERIOD: THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY
THAILAND & MYANMAR (BURMA) BORDER
WEIGHT: 17.62 GRAM APPROX. (8.45 GRAM & 9.17 GRAM EACH)
MEASUREMENTS: L20MM X W31MM
EARLOBE HOLE SIZE: 15MM (BACK FLARE 19MM)
CONDITION: USED – NICE PATINA & AGE – ONE OF THE PLUGS MISSING HALF CIRCLE BACK FLARE (SEE IMAGES) – BUT CAN BE WEAR WITH O-RING ON THE BACK OR A MINOR SILVER REPAIR ADD MISSING HALF – SILVER CLEANABLE TO SHINE – COLLECTIBLE – DISPLAYABLE – INTACT

HAND-FORGED SILVER EAR PLUG
CAREFULLY CRAFTED BY A TRIBAL SILVERSMITH USING TRADITIONAL METHODS, THIS SILVER EAR PLUG IS SHAPED AND POLISHED ENTIRELY BY HAND. MELTED SILVER IS CAST OR HAMMERED INTO FORM, THEN FILED, ENGRAVED, OR FLARED TO FIT COMFORTABLY THROUGH STRETCHED EARLOBES. THE SURFACE BEARS THE SUBTLE MARKS OF HAND TOOLING, EVIDENCE OF ITS ARTISANAL ORIGIN.
OFTEN CREATED WITHOUT MODERN MACHINERY, THESE PLUGS CARRY BOTH FUNCTIONAL PURPOSE AND CULTURAL SYMBOLISM — FREQUENTLY WORN IN CEREMONIAL CONTEXTS OR AS PART OF DAILY ATTIRE TO SIGNIFY IDENTITY, AGE, OR SPIRITUAL BELIEF.
AMONG KAREN WOMEN, SILVER CUP PLUGS ARE NOT JUST OCCASIONAL ORNAMENTS BUT ESSENTIAL DAILY WEAR, PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS AS A LIVING TRADITION.
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*LIGHTLY CLEANED TO PRESERVE DETAIL WHILE MAINTAINING ORIGINAL PATINA.

*REFERENCE:

• PEOPLE OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE – PAGE: 61 | 71 – BY PAUL AND ELAIN LEWIS – RIVER BOOKS

• A WORLD OF EARRINGS: AFRICA – ASIA – AMERICA – PAGE: 236 | 237 – BY ANN VAN CUTSEM – SKIRA

• THE VANISHING TRIBES OF BURMA – PAGE: 121 – RICHARD K. DIRAN – AMPHOTO ART, AN IMPRINT OF WATSON-GUPTILL PUBLICATIONS / NEW YORK

• FROM THE HANDS OF THE HILLS – PAGES: 82 | 93 | 96 – MARGARET CAMPBELL – THE THAI HILLCRAFT FOUNDATION – MEDIA TRANSASIA

*SELL AS PAIR