MSI363

PAIR OF SILVER ALLOY LAHU SHI & KAREN HILL-TRIBES – TUNNEL EARRINGS – ORIGINAL
FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY
FROM THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE (LAOS – THAILAND – BURMA) – SOUTHEAST ASIA

THESE TRADITIONAL EAR TUNNELS WERE HAND-FABRICATED AND WORN BY WOMEN OF THE LAHU SHI AND KAREN HILL-TRIBES, INSERTED INTO STRETCHED EARLOBES AS SYMBOLS OF MATURITY, BEAUTY, STATUS, AND ETHNIC IDENTITY. THE DOUBLE-FLARE FORM REFLECTS FUNCTIONAL DESIGN COMBINED WITH RITUAL AND AESTHETIC VALUE.

HANDMADE FROM SILVER ALLOY, THESE TUNNELS ORIGINATE FROM THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE REGION, WHERE HIGHLAND TRIBES PRESERVED THEIR CULTURAL ADORNMENT PRACTICES WELL INTO THE MID-20TH CENTURY. THIS PAIR IS A RARE, AUTHENTIC EXAMPLE OF TRIBAL BODY JEWELRY, VALUED FOR ITS ETHNOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP.

MATERIAL: SILVER ALLOY
REGION: GOLDEN TRIANGLE – SOUTHEAST ASIA
TRIBE: LAHU SHI & KAREN
PERIOD: FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY
WEIGHT: 26.93 GRAMS PER PAIR (13.5 GRM EACH APPROX.)
DIMENSIONS: L 35MM × W 22MM
EARLOBE HOLE SIZE: 17MM (BACK FLARE 19MM | FRONT FLARE 23MM)
CONDITION: VERY GOOD – FULLY INTACT – USABLE – COLLECTABLE – DISPLAYABLE – NICE PATINA – (SEE IMAGES)

LIGHTLY CLEANED TO PRESERVE DETAIL WHILE MAINTAINING ORIGINAL PATINA

REFERENCE:
FROM THE HANDS OF THE HILLS – PAGE 203 – MARGARET CAMPBELL – THE THAI HILLCRAFT FOUNDATION – MEDIA TRANSASIA

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