Size: Length 24 cm. Weight 0.3 kg.
Materials: Yak bone, cinnabar, Buddha beads.
Condition: Looks like vintage.
This old style necklace is indeed likely a type of Buddhist prayer beads called a mala. Malas are traditionally used for reciting mantras and meditation in Tibetan Buddhism. This mala is made of yak bone beads with small symbols carved into them, and cinnabar. The necklace has 108 beads, which is a significant number in Tibetan Buddhism. It is believed that there are 108 defilements that obscure enlightenment, and reciting a mantra 108 times is seen as a way to purify these defilements.