Tibetan Buddhist Prayer Beads: "Mala"

These are Tibetan prayer beads, called "mala." Mala is a loop of prayer beads commonly used in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It is used for counting recitations of mantras, prayers or other sacred phrases. A mala is also worn to ward off evil.

The main body of a mala usually consists of 108 beads of roughly the same size and material as each other. The beads of this mala have been carved into the shape of skulls.

Buddhism is a religion in which people follow the teachings of the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) who lived and taught about 2500 years ago. Buddhists do not believe in a personal creator god. Buddhists believe in the Four Noble Truths, including that life is suffering because we are attached to our desires, but that suffering and attachment can be ended by living according to the Noble Eight-fold Path (ex. right thinking, right working, right speaking). The holy book is called the Tripitaka. It contains the teachings of the Buddha. Buddhists believe in rebirth after death (reincarnation). Their goal is to become Enlightened, to achieve Nirvana, and break the cycle of birth and death.

Mala beads have traditionally been made of a variety of materials such as wood, stone, gems, seeds, bone and precious metals—with various religions often favoring certain materials—and strung with natural fibers such as cotton, silk, or animal hair.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_prayer_beads