This proud woman is a member of the Kayaw tribe in Loikow, Myanmar.  Beautifully dressed and adorned, Kayaw women have elongated earlobes with metal cylinders and beads.  Metal coils decorate both the neck and the legs and are worn in life and into death.  Silver coins hang from the neck behind large silver and aluminum half discs.  In the Kayaw culture, these represent the beauty of the shining moon.  They are usually given by a groom to his bride to tell her, “You are as beautiful as the shining moon.”  Mothers also pass these down to daughters to tell them, “You are my beauty, as beautiful as the shining moon.”  It is fascinating that diverse cultures throughout the world have associated the moon with the feminine.