Akha silversmithing

I spent one day studying silversmithing with an Akha tribal smith.  Mostly I learned how tricky it is; it would have taken me weeks or months to master the simple part: hammering things flat.  I came away in awe of his abilities.

Since my polyclay spindles were wearing out, I asked him to make me a silver spindle.  Here are some photos from the process.

You can read more about my adventures with the Akha in the Thailand section of my travel blog.