She Shall Have Music Wherever She Goes

I seem to have a thing for noisy clothing. I don’t purposefully go out to look for it – somehow it just finds me. There’s the sugary pink scarf with delicate white hammer shells on it that tinkle as I walk; the 1920s wearing-my-hearts-on-my-skirt skirt; the jingling Afghani recycled textile heart necklace; and now there’s this ethnic collar necklace positively dripping with charms. There are baubles, butterflies, birds, barrels, suns, and fish.

It is so eye-catching it prompted a discussion of its origins with work colleagues one day during our lunch break. I did not know, for I had purchased it in a Salvos charity shop – I guessed that it was someone else’s discarded souvenir. Was it Indian? Balinese? Thai? I saw very similar pieces in the Vietnamese markets when I holidayed there years ago.

I am uncertain of the type of metal alloy however – in Vietnam some of the jewellery was 80% silver mixed with brass, and looked quite similar to this. I don’t mind it’s tarnished either – I rather like the air of antiquity it bestows. It’s a double-fake necklace in fact: fake silver, and a fake souvenir, but it’s a genuine great find.