MSI013

ANTIQUE SILVER PALAUNG EAR PLUGS – SHAN STATES, BURMA (PAIR)

THIS RARE PAIR OF ANTIQUE WOMAN’S EAR-PLUGS ORIGINATES FROM THE PALAUNG PEOPLE OF THE NORTHERN SHAN STATES, BURMA (MYANMAR)—SPECIFICALLY FROM TAUNG-BAING, A REGION HISTORICALLY KNOWN FOR ITS DISTINCTIVE TRIBAL SILVERWORK. SUCH ORNAMENTS WERE TRADITIONALLY WORN BY SHAN-PALAUNG WOMEN AS SYMBOLS OF IDENTITY, BEAUTY, AND SOCIAL STATUS.

HANDCRAFTED FROM SOLID SILVER (MATERIAL UNTESTED BUT CONSISTENT WITH TRADITIONAL TRIBAL ALLOYS), THESE ORNAMENTS ARE DESIGNED FOR INSERTION INTO STRETCHED EARLOBES. THEIR COMPACT, BALANCED PROPORTIONS REFLECT BOTH AESTHETIC REFINEMENT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE IN PALAUNG ADORNMENT TRADITIONS.

ESTIMATED PERIOD: LATE 19TH TO EARLY 20TH CENTURY
ORIGIN: TAUNG-BAING, NORTHERN SHAN STATES, BURMA (MYANMAR)
TRIBE/CULTURE: SHAN-PALAUNG
MATERIAL: SILVER (UNTESTED)
WEIGHT: 37.02 G (PAIR)
MEASUREMENTS: LENGTH 18 MM | WIDTH 20 MM | EARLOBE HOLE 16 MM
CONDITION: VERY GOOD FOR AGE; FULLY INTACT, WEARABLE, AND COLLECTIBLE
SOLD AS: PAIR

EACH PIECE IS A TESTAMENT TO THE MASTERY OF REGIONAL SILVERSMITHS AND REPRESENTS A VANISHING ART FORM RARELY ENCOUNTERED IN SUCH COMPLETE, ORIGINAL CONDITION TODAY. A MUSEUM-QUALITY EXAMPLE IDEAL FOR PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, TRIBAL JEWELRY CONNOISSEURS, OR ETHNOGRAPHIC DISPLAY.