Kayan (ethnic minority) woman also called longneck wearing gold rings around her neck, Mae Hong Son, Northern Thailand, Asia
Women of the various Kayan tribes identify themselves by their different form of dress. The Kayan Lahwi tribe are the most renowned as they wear ornaments known as neck rings, brass coils that are placed around the neck. The women wearing these coils are known as giraffe women to tourists. These coils are first applied to young girls when they are around five years old. Each coil is replaced with longer coil, as the weight of the brass pushes the collar bone down and compresses the rib cage. Contrary to popular belief, the neck is not actually lengthened; the illusion of a stretched neck is created by the deformation of the clavicle[8]. Many ideas regarding why the coils are worn have been suggested, often formed by visiting anthropologists, who have hypothesized that the rings protected women from becoming slaves by making them less attractive to other tribes. Contrastingly it has been theorized that the coils originate from the desire to look more attractive by exaggerating sexual dimorphism, as women have more slender necks than men. It has also been suggested that the coils give the women resemblance to a dragon, an important figure in Kayan folklore [9]. The coils might be meant to protect from tiger bites, perhaps literally, but probably symbolically.
Size: 5700px × 3816px
Location: Mae Hong Son, Northern Thailand, Asia
Photo credit: © Amar and Isabelle Guillen - Guillen Photo LLC / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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