I am yet to see a real "karowewin" in person. I've only seen these Gaddang collar beads in pictures and illustrations.
Also, of all the indigenous peoples in the Cordillera region, I think the Gaddangs are among the least studied. The literature about them is minute compared to other Cordilleran indigenous peoples.
I took this photo of a page from the 2024 calendar of the Museo Kordilyera at the University of the Philippines Baguio.
It's accompanied by the following description:
"The karowewin is an elaborate beaded collar necklace worn by Gaddang women. It has a large section composed of tiny red, yellow, white, black, and blue glass beads called bukat which is woven to form a net. From this bead net hangs evenly sized cowrie shells and metal bells. It is also common for old Spanish and American era coins to be seen attached on the karowewin. From this large section emanates a single strand of larger beads which serves as the strap of the necklace. The large section is displayed on the back and the single strand of beads is worn on the front."
