Jewellery Week 2

"The Kayan Women"  

  

 I chose to do my blog on the Kayan women of Northern Thailand because of the

brass coils that they wear around their necks. The Kayan women usually receive their first set of brass coils at the age of 5. The set weighs about 4 1/2 pounds, then slowly new rings are added. Researching about the brass coils that the Kayan women wear helped me grasp a better understanding on their traditions. The main thing that I found interesting is the fact that the Kayan women do not have their necks elongated. As the weight of the coils press down, the clavicle is lowered, and with each addition to the neck rings it falls further, compressing the rib cage as well. The shoulders finally fall away to give the appearance of an elongated neck.