Ethnic Design Collection Reto Zehnder

This decorated silver hairpin was made by the Hmong, a fiercely independent hill tribe people found throughout SE Asia and Southern China. The hairpin is hollow with silver filigree decoration and is made from good silver. In the past, hill tribe women would sometimes fill the shaft with valuable items such as opium.Antique Hmong silver hairpins of this nature are rarely seen in Laos now.