Myanmar · Metalwork / Body Adornment
လည်ကော့ (Lae Khoe)
The Kayan brass neck coil (လည်ကော့ lae khoe) is one of the most recognized and most ethically contested craft objects in Southeast Asia — the spiral brass coil worn by Kayan (Padaung) women from childhood, adding rings progressively over a lifetime until the neck column can reach 25–30cm. CRAFT documents this tradition at the making level — the craft knowledge of forming and fitting the spiral coil — while explicitly noting the ethics context: the tourist industry's exploitation of Kayan women as 'attractions' has been widely criticized, and CRAFT's documentation supports the Kayan community's right to self-determination in how this tradition is practiced and shared. The making craft involves casting or drawing brass wire to specific diameter, coiling around a mandrel to precise diameter, and fitting to the individual wearer — adjusting coil tension to support without compressing the neck. The coil maker must have anatomical knowledge of neck structure to fit correctly.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not inscribed — ethically complex; ongoing community rights debate
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