MSI635

ANTIQUE SILVER TRIBAL EAR PLUG PAIR WITH HANGING LEAF – POSSIBLY TAI LUE OR LAO HIGHLAND TRIBE – LUANG PRABANG REGION, LAOS – LATE 19TH CENTURY
• A RARE AND ASYMMETRICAL PAIR OF HANDMADE SILVER EAR PLUGS, TRADITIONALLY WORN BY HIGHLAND ETHNIC GROUPS IN NORTHERN LAOS. EACH PLUG IS CRAFTED IN SOLID SILVER WITH HAND-FORGED CYLINDRICAL SHAFTS AND FLARED FRONTS. ONE PLUG FEATURES A SUSPENDED ORIGINAL SILVER LEAF PENDANT, WHILE THE OTHER IS UNADORNED.
• THESE EARRINGS SHOW SUBTLE IRREGULARITIES, CONSISTENT WITH TRIBAL SILVERSMITHING. THEIR STYLE AND ORIGIN ARE DISTINCT FROM COMMON KAREN HILLTRIBE FORMS AND LIKELY BELONG TO TAI LUE OR LAO LOUM TRADITIONS FROM THE LUANG PRABANG REGION.
• WEIGHT: SHORTER: 4.69G | LONGER: 9.77G
• MEASUREMENTS: SHORTER: L50MM × W20MM | LONGER: L72MM × W20MM
• EARLOBE HOLE SIZE: 6MM (FRONT FLARE: 20MM)
• CONDITION: ANTIQUE – INTACT – ONE PLUG FEATURES ORIGINAL HAMMERED SILVER LEAF HANGING ORNAMENT – OTHER PLUG DOES NOT. ONE PLUG SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE OTHER. PATINA CONSISTENT WITH AGE – CAN BE CLEANED IF DESIRED, BUT PRESERVED IN ORIGINAL STATE. COLLECTIBLE & DISPLAYABLE.
REFERENCE:
-PEOPLE OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE – Page: 61 - BY PAUL and ELAIN LEWIS – River Books
- A WORLD OF EARRINGS Africa – Asia – America – Page: 223 - BY ANN VAN CUTSEM – SKIRA

• NOTES: SOLD AS A PAIR. FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING.