Padaung Long Neck — Myanmar
699.00 د.إ
A Padaung woman of Myanmar’s Kayah State photographed in her home village — the traditional brass coil rings extending the neck to the characteristic length, the face in a composed and dignified expression, traditional dress worn.
Description
The Padaung women of the Kayan subgroup of the Kayah people in Myanmar’s Kayah State wear a series of brass coils around the neck from early childhood — the coils do not actually elongate the neck but depress the collarbone and upper ribs, creating the visual impression of an extended neck. The practice is maintained by older women as a cultural identity marker, though younger generations increasingly choose not to continue it. This photograph was made with full community permission and facilitation by a Kayan cultural organisation, in the subject’s own home in natural window light — no tourism context, no performance situation. The result is a portrait of remarkable dignity and self- possession: the subject’s expression is that of a woman completely at ease with her own cultural identity, inviting observation without performing for the camera.
