MSI654

PAIR OF ALUMINUM EAR PLUGS (TUNNELS) – BRE (B’RÊ) TRIBE – KARENNI STATE, EASTERN BURMA (MYANMAR) – MID 20TH CENTURY

THIS PAIR OF HAND-FORMED EAR TUNNELS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE BRE (B’RÊ), A SMALL AND LITTLE-DOCUMENTED SUBGROUP OF THE KARENNI (RED KAREN) PEOPLE OF EASTERN BURMA. SIMILAR EXAMPLES WERE VISUALLY RECORDED BY RICHARD K. DIRAN IN HIS WORK “THE VANISHING TRIBES OF BURMA,” WHERE BRE WOMEN ARE SHOWN WEARING DISTINCTIVE FLARED METAL EAR PLUGS.

MADE OF CAST OR REPURPOSED ALUMINUM, THESE TUNNELS FEATURE CHARACTERISTIC DOUBLE FLARES, INDICATING THEIR USE IN STRETCHED EARLOBES FOR WOMEN’S DAILY OR CEREMONIAL ADORNMENT. MINIMALISTIC IN FORM YET CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT, SUCH PIECES REPRESENT A FADED TRADITION RARELY ENCOUNTERED OUTSIDE OF HISTORICAL FIELDWORK.

A RARE SURVIVING EXAMPLE OF BRE TRIBAL BODY ADORNMENT FROM THE KARENNI HIGHLANDS, SHOWCASING BOTH FUNCTIONAL DESIGN AND ETHNIC IDENTITY.

MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
REGION: KARENNI STATE, EASTERN BURMA (MYANMAR)
TRIBE: BRE (B’RÊ), A SUBGROUP OF THE RED KAREN (KARENNI)
PERIOD: MID 20TH CENTURY
WEIGHT: 13.08GRM PAIR
DIMENSIONS: APPROX. DIAMETER 30MM EARLOBE SUDDLE (38MM FLARE) | 24MM LONG
CONDITION: VERY GOOD – USABLE - NOTE: PLUGS ENDS ARE CLOSED BUT NOT SOLDERED OR FUSED – SEE IMAGES

HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT AND RARELY DOCUMENTED TRIBAL JEWELRY FROM AN OBSCURE ETHNIC SUBGROUP.

Reference:
THE VANISHING TRIBES OF BURMA - Page: 135 - RICHARD K. DIRAN - AMPHOTO ART and imprint of WATSON - GUPTILL - PUBLICATIONS / NEW YORK

LIGHTLY CLEANED TO PRESERVE ORIGINAL PATINA.
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