In traditional culture, hair was associated with magical powers: it was associated with ideas of longevity and good luck, so its “protection” was done with the help of jewellery – “sholpy” or “shashbau”. This is a pendant in the form of strung metal medallions decorated with a fine tracery pattern and coins, the number of which must be odd – three, five, seven. Like the earrings, the girls’ pendants were not richly decorated, but when a girl was given as a gift, she wore luxurious pendants that emphasised her special status.
The pendants are woven into the braid and make a melodious sound when they move. The traditional belief is that the sound of the pendants protects the beloved from evil spirits. The pendants were usually worn for only one year after marriage.
Another type of hair ornament is the shashbau, long, elaborately braided chains, often double or triple. The shashbau, to which coins were sewn, ended in silk tassels or silver pendants and was attached to the base of the braids all the way to the ends. This jewellery was worn by girls and young women, that is, it was the privilege of youth as a kind of symbol of youth.
