For centuries, silver soul lock pendants have been worn by the Hmong to keep the restless soul from taking flight from the body until the appropriate time has come.
The Hmong are a fiercely independent mountain dwelling people found throughout SE Asia and southern China and are renowned for their silversmith skills and unique designs. They were the first hill tribe group to successfully cultivate opium, which provided the income to amass silver and fashion it into adornments. Authentic antique Hmong silver is scarce nowadays.
Reference: Paul & Elaine Lewis, Peoples of the Golden Triangle p.54
Dimensions
Width (at widest point): 7.3cm, 2.9 in
Height: 5.6cm, 2.25 in
Weight: 34 grams / 1.2 oz.
Early 20th Century
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