﻿108 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  TWO 
  KEKAWNGDU 
  WOMEN 
  MAKING 
  PURCHASES 
  IN 
  THE 
  KAWNG-I 
  BAZAAR! 
  BURMA 
  

  

  The 
  stall-keepers 
  are 
  Shans. 
  The 
  ring 
  at 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  neck 
  is 
  more 
  clearly 
  seen 
  on 
  

   the 
  woman 
  sitting 
  down 
  (see 
  text, 
  page 
  315). 
  The 
  "well-dressed" 
  Karen 
  woman 
  wears 
  as 
  

   much 
  as 
  50 
  or 
  60 
  pounds 
  of 
  brass 
  rings 
  on 
  neck, 
  arms, 
  and 
  legs. 
  

  

  above 
  which 
  the 
  hair 
  appears, 
  tied 
  in 
  a 
  

   knot. 
  

  

  The 
  women 
  wear 
  a 
  short 
  skirt 
  which 
  

   comes 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  knee. 
  Usually 
  it 
  is 
  

   dark-colored, 
  but 
  occasionally 
  it 
  is 
  red. 
  

   A 
  broad 
  piece 
  of 
  black 
  cloth 
  passes 
  over 
  

   the 
  back 
  across 
  the 
  right 
  shoulder, 
  and 
  is 
  

   then 
  draped 
  over 
  the 
  bosom, 
  and 
  confined 
  

   at 
  the 
  waist 
  by 
  a 
  white 
  girdle, 
  knotted 
  

   in 
  front, 
  sash-fashion, 
  with 
  flowing 
  ends 
  

   hanging 
  down 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  grace, 
  

   according 
  to 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  it 
  has 
  

   been 
  worn. 
  

  

  Round 
  the 
  waist 
  and 
  neck 
  are 
  ropes 
  of 
  

   barbaric 
  beads, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  wealthy 
  oc- 
  

   casionally 
  add 
  long 
  necklaces 
  of 
  rupees. 
  

   A 
  profusion 
  of 
  the 
  beads 
  also 
  decorates 
  

   the 
  leg 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  calf, 
  which 
  is 
  circled 
  

   by 
  a 
  solid 
  mass 
  of 
  garters 
  of 
  black 
  cord 
  

   or 
  rattan. 
  Perhaps 
  they 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  

   called 
  garters, 
  seeing 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  serve 
  to 
  

   hold 
  up 
  anything. 
  Anyhow, 
  these 
  leg- 
  

   rings, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  beads, 
  stand 
  out 
  

   a 
  matter 
  of 
  two 
  inches 
  from 
  each 
  sturdy 
  

   limb 
  (see 
  pages 
  298 
  and 
  302). 
  

  

  The 
  result 
  is 
  that 
  their 
  wearers 
  walk 
  

  

  

  