Introduction

When I first saw this artefact, I was intrigued by the largest of five coins that hang at the front side of the object. The coin, seemingly of British manufacture, interested me because the headdress was of non-Western European origin. A closer look, however, revealed much more than what one can only see at first sight.

This headdress is a souvenir that tells the story of how politics, tourism, and contact with other cultures have affected the ways of living of the Akha hill tribes in Northern Thailand.

Enjoy!

Jurian ter Horst

Webpage, photographs, and exhibit by Jurian ter Horst, SFU Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology 2019 ©