Title
Soul lock
Year/Period
Early 20th century
Region
Northern Thailand
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 0.7 x 7 x 5.4 cm
Accession No.
1993-00742
Collection of
This 'soul lock' with applied decoration is based on the Hmong cross motif that can be found on embroidered collars.Silver jewellery was a way of investing a family’s wealth to be passed down as heirlooms. Hmong girls were given silver jewellery by their parents as bride wealth which ensured them of some independence and status in their new home. Silver is also regarded as having protective properties. Young children wear a silver neck ring with a ‘soul lock’ to protect them against illness. The pendant or ‘soul lock’ is believed to prevent the soul from leaving the body. Originally, highlanders from China, the Hmong recently have begun to move into northern areas of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
