Burmese Tribal Silver Beads

Little silver cubes, each set on a corner, so the strand sparkles at every turn.

These tribal silver beads are Hill Tribe, from Laos, Thailand and Burma, and date to the early 20th century. They are tribal silver. Hill tribe peoples of the region, among them the Hmong, Karen and Akha, have long made silver a central part of dress and adornment, often worn in great quantity. These beads are small hollow cubes, folded and joined at the seams, threaded on point so each turns a diamond face outward. The silver has a soft, slightly worn sheen. Several long strands are shown together.

Geometry, polished to a shine.