Lala; [Author]

Saleha Akter Urmi; [Facilitator]

My jewellery (embroidery)

Fultola (embroidery)

Embroidery (EMB)

Decorative

Lala carries her sister’s memory in these yari hanful (earrings). Her sister died in Myanmar, and Lala is fostering her sister’s daughter. She wants to give the earrings to her niece one day to carry on her sister’s memory.

Jewellery is precious to Rohingya women, like many women around the world. Gold jewellery is given to brides as mohorana (dower) when they are married, usually during the fultula-toli (engagement ceremony). The mohorana is a form of financial security for the woman: a source of support on which she can fall back in the event that she is widowed or divorced. While heavy silver jewellery was common among the Rohingya in older days, it is rarely seen today. Delicate gold jewellery, often with floral motifs, is preferred.