Title
Ritual paper
Year/Period
Early 20th century
Region
Northern Thailand
Dimension
Object size: L150 x W5.5cm
Accession No.
1994-00074
Collection of
This ritual paper money is one of the many objects used by priests and shamans of the Yao community, also known as Iu Mien in northern Thailand.The Yao religion is based on an ancient form of Chinese Daoism that may have been adopted by the Yao sometime during the 13th century.Ritual practices are conducted by a hierarchy of priests who read texts and conduct elaborate and costly rituals.The Yao is a minority group that migrated into northern Thailand from neighbouring regions during the 18th and 19th centuries. The terms 'highlanders', 'hilltribes' or chao khao ('mountain people') as they are referred to in Thai, are no longer very accurate as many also now live in lowland regions.
