MSI363

PAIR OF SILVER (70%) 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 (70%), 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 (70%)
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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