Hi everyone. Not sure what forum this post should be in but I bought these headresses in Chiang Mai in the 80's. The Hill Tribe sellers could not speak English so I never knew what tribes they were from. I just thought they were amazing. Can anyone identify what tribes they are from or tell me who might be able to tell me? Also, any idea what they might be worth? Not that I am looking to sell them at the moment. Also wondering if some Thai institution (private, government or Hill Tribe) might consider them as something they would want to preserve for history. 

Googling "Thai hilltribe  headwear" brings up lots of informative examples.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=thai+hill+tribe+headwear&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=ALeKk02KVtsKgY7Fq7BxqcOlEhStYp5_RQ:1615769681302&source=lnms&tbm=isch&biw=1024&bih=463

I think it's "ahka" (not sure how it's spelled cause I've only heard it spoken).

definitely Akha; which sub-group (Phami, Loi Mi, Ulo) i  don't know. see: click

~o:37;

1 hour ago, MrBrad said:

Googling "Thai hilltribe  headwear" brings up lots of informative examples.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=thai+hill+tribe+headwear&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=ALeKk02KVtsKgY7Fq7BxqcOlEhStYp5_RQ:1615769681302&source=lnms&tbm=isch&biw=1024&bih=463

Duh! I never imagined. Thanks for waking me up.

1 hour ago, MrBrad said:

Googling "Thai hilltribe  headwear" brings up lots of informative examples.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=thai+hill+tribe+headwear&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=ALeKk02KVtsKgY7Fq7BxqcOlEhStYp5_RQ:1615769681302&source=lnms&tbm=isch&biw=1024&bih=463

The first two appear to be Akha but did not see the third.

49 minutes ago, orang37 said:

definitely Akha; which sub-group (Phami, Loi Mi, Ulo) i  don't know. see: click

~o:37;

All three? I can't find an image of the third. I didn't know there were sub-groups. Holy Moly.

Thanks

8 hours ago, elgenon said:

Also, any idea what they might be worth? Not that I am looking to sell them at the moment. Also wondering if some Thai institution (private, government or Hill Tribe) might consider them as something they would want to preserve for history. 

Depending on who sold them, IMO only worth what you paid for them. Back then they might have made them in the village for sale to tourists, but those balls look like they have moulding marks on them ie made of plastic.

I always understood the real things have silver coins on them.

google images has pics of "akha tribal headware" showing them with silver coins.

Girlfriend is from an ethnic Karen hill tribe in Myanmar, and she says without a doubt 100% Akha, and worn by all members of the different clans.  Price wise she said they would go for between 20K Thb or 30K Thb depending on the colors and how intricate they are.  A full head dress, with neckwear and then the dress could go for around 45K Thb to 60K Thb if original and handmade. 

24 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Girlfriend is from an ethnic Karen hill tribe in Myanmar, and she says without a doubt 100% Akha, and worn by all members of the different clans.  Price wise she said they would go for between 20K Thb or 30K Thb depending on the colors and how intricate they are.  A full head dress, with neckwear and then the dress could go for around 45K Thb to 60K Thb if original and handmade. 

Iower prices quoted online usd 150-400 with silver

2 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Iower prices quoted online usd 150-400 with silver

New are priced higher than the old ones she says, as well as how intrinsic they are and how colorful.  The more accoutrements together are worth the most money, so a full set would be worth more. 

They are def Akha. I remember a shop had a couple that were loaded with silver coins from India, just loaded. I think the price at the time was 70,000 baht. This was probably about 10 years ago. Those metal balls, I used them many a time on bags and such. They can still be bought in the market. They are not silver but they're not plastic, either.

@elgenon

It looks like Akha tribe.

You can go to this blog to learn about all the tribes in Thailand (not just Akha). I learned a lot from that blog.

http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2019/03/ethnic-origin-of-akha-in-thailand.html

surely Akha... 

And price always depends on where it is being sold... 

Here, no big deal, put them in a nice gallery store w/nice display they may ask a lot.. but they are surely paying a lot of rent... 

On 3/14/2021 at 10:53 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Depending on who sold them, IMO only worth what you paid for them. Back then they might have made them in the village for sale to tourists, but those balls look like they have moulding marks on them ie made of plastic.

I always understood the real things have silver coins on them.

google images has pics of "akha tribal headware" showing them with silver coins.

No plastic. Those are silver balls made from coins. Not made for tourists. Remember these were bought in the 80s. They have marks where the two coins were joined. The coins have markings.

On 3/14/2021 at 10:57 PM, ThailandRyan said:

Girlfriend is from an ethnic Karen hill tribe in Myanmar, and she says without a doubt 100% Akha, and worn by all members of the different clans.  Price wise she said they would go for between 20K Thb or 30K Thb depending on the colors and how intricate they are.  A full head dress, with neckwear and then the dress could go for around 45K Thb to 60K Thb if original and handmade. 

Are all three Akha including the beaded one (third)? Thanks

23 hours ago, elgenon said:

No plastic. Those are silver balls made from coins. Not made for tourists. Remember these were bought in the 80s. They have marks where the two coins were joined. The coins have markings.

I first visited LOS in the 70s and there was plenty of tourist junk souvenirs for sale back then- just not made in China.

Not saying the headware in the OP is junk. I'd take it to the national museum to be valued by an actual expert.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'd take it to the national museum

Hill Tribe Museum dee qua

19 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Hill Tribe Museum dee qua

I just emailed them

Donate them to the Hill Tribe Museum...they will be grateful....

22 hours ago, chuang said:

Donate them to the Hill Tribe Museum...they will be grateful....

Down the line a bit. Am still enjoying them. Mostly wondering about their provenance.

Akha, the Thais call them 'Eeekaw'' or something similar sounding.  A greeting is 'Akha eelay' sounding. A head dress with the silver board denotes a married woman. Not having the back board means not married.  The bamboo houses are raised and the men sleep on one side of a bamboo wall and the women and children on the other side. Normally two fire pits in the same house.  separate 'bungalows' for married couples to temporarily cohabitate in. Generally, open teenage sexual relations until a couple wants to settle down. There are benches near the village where the teenagers go at evening and sing to attract each other. When twins are born they will kill one as the 'spirit' is believed to be split. They like white coloured dogs and treat them special. Black dogs are usually eaten.  Of all the hill tribes the Akha are the most resistant to change and if staying in a traditional village you must be acutely aware of their traditions. We tried to remove a woman from the village we were staying in for a month who had a leg that appeared 'quite rotten'. Even though we had fixed many infections etc. and were accepted they would not let us take her to a Thai hospital as she contained the bad spirits and if she was fixed the spirits would take others from that village.....we left her there to die.   Back to the head dresses....the better ones had silver Indian rupee coins as adornments. Possibly, just unique to the group I knew a bit.

"Eekaw"...Please don't use that term. It is pejorative and not appreciated by Akha people.

7 minutes ago, bamboozled said:

"Eekaw"...Please don't use that term. It is pejorative and not appreciated by Akha people.

Shocking the Thais would use a pejorative term for a people they don't consider Thai but who live there.