This solid silver pipe was probably used by the Lawa hilltribe in northern Thailand. Silver was the currency most valued by the hilltribe. It was usually obtained through trade in the form of Indian and Burmese silver coins, which were melted down to make silver jewellery. This pipe was probably made by Shan silversmiths in eastern Burma. They made a wide variety of silver items including betel boxes and knives, which were traded with different communities living in highland areas in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The Lawa are ancient aboriginal people of northern Thailand.
