Brass Leg Rings

The Padaung women of Northern Thailand famously wear brass rings around their necks. This distorts the growth of their collarbones by pushing down on the clavicle making their necks appear elongated. A woman generally has about twenty or more long brass spiral rings around her neck, as she grows older, rings will be added. This neck ring adornment is started when the girls are 5 or 6 years old.The the primary reason for wearing the rings is for beauty and to preserve their culture while they are in exile. The rings on the arms and the legs are not quite as prominent as those on the neck. The rings on the legs are worn from the ankles to the knees, some with cloth coverings over the rings. The rings rubbing against the skin can cause discomfort and abrasions over a period of time. Typically pieces of cloth are used to protect the skin.

Photo by: David Halbakken on Flickr

Photo credit: Michael Freeman

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Photo by PeterOle on Flickr

Padaung women wear about fifty pounds of brass collars and leg coils. Karenni State, Burma. W. ROBERT MOORE/National Geographic Stock

Photo credit: Anders Ryman, Nai Soi, Thailand

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