Miao Spirit Lock or Padlock Pendant

Two looping arms rise like handles on a tiny silver bag.

This spirit lock or padlock pendant is Miao (Hmong), from Thailand, in silver. Lock pendants among the Hmong are traditionally worn to hold the soul in place and keep it from wandering, a protection often given to children. The trapezoid plate is engraved with four-petaled flowers and dotted rosettes in a lattice, framed by rows of tiny dots and a band of zigzag triangles across the top. Above, two thin silver wires sweep out in wide loops and curl into small hooks at the center, with a ring at one side. It is 2.5 inches long and 3.5 high.

Very good at keeping things where they belong.