KALINGA HEIRLOOM BEADS FROM THE PHILIPINES


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Kalinga heirloom beads
This multistrand necklace of heirloom beads is in itself like a history book starting with the
ancient Indian agate and onyx beads and ending with the 19th Century European glass beads.
 
This strand shows a lot of wear and tear. Kalinga woman inherit these beads when they marry
and they will wear them daily from that moment onwards. The kalingas are a matriarchal society.
The mother will give her strand to her eldest daugther. In case of more wealth in the family there
will be heirloom strands to the younger daugthers as well.  This strand is symbolically stringing
together generations in a time span more than 1000 years.  In this way the heirloom neclace
will grow in diversity and age together with the family they represent.