Mohar málá, Necklace with Coins from Various Countries
After the abolition of slavery in Suriname, Dutch plantation owners sought workers in the British East Indies, and later also in Java. For Hindustani indentured labourers, plantation life consisted of poverty, exploitation, and violence. Within the community women were a minority. The jewellery they wore reflected their strong bargaining position in the marriage market. The more jewellery a woman had, the more respect she commanded.