decorated with cowries (Fig. 31b). These hoops support the skirt which readies from the hips to the knee, and often has a chequered border of cloth applique in red, blue and yellow. Most of the matrons coil their hair in the folds of the Shan (Fig. 30a, p. 37) turban, but the original Chingpaw head-dress was a length of embroidered cloth twisted round the head, whilst the end, fringed with beads, fell gracefully on the shoulder. Unmarried women wear no head-dress, but cut their hair square across the forehead, whilst the back hair streams down behind quite unrestrained (Fig. 30b).
The ears are pierced, both through the lobes and the upper cartilage. In the latter orifice is inserted a tasselled lappet of embroidered cloth (Fig. 31c, p. 38). Silver tubes reaching to the shoulder are worn by the wealthier belles (Figs. 31a and 32c). All who can wear necklaces of beads, but silver hoops or torques called gerees (Fig. 32a) and the Komoung of red ochreons beads, (Fig. 32b, p. 39), are peculiar to the necks of highborn damsels.
