Jewelry

Image Title:
Necklace

Note:
"The social status of men and women plays an important role in carrying beadwork. The kind beaded dress and / or ornamentation says something about age, marital status and even the number of admirers that anyone has. This necklace hangs a 'love letter'. The pattern and color combination can be regarded as a private dialogue between the lovers.

Unmarried girls wear beaded jewelry for head and neck, long necklaces on their breasts, arm and leg decorations and many medium and hip straps. Married women wear less beadwork.

Men usually wear Western clothes and only for special occasions they do their beadwork to. Young, unmarried men are an exception, they carry many beaded jewelry and especially the love letters are highly sought after. These were made by young girls for their loved ones and the more love letters they wore one was more popular with the girls." Wikipedia

Photo by:
Tropenmuseum