Experimental Form, No. ❹
April 13, 2023
Of the Naga
Edited by Malini Narayan and Pradyumna Sapre
Situated in the Northeast mountains of India, Nagaland is home to sixteen prominent tribes. The word Naga originated from the Burmese ‘naka,’ meaning ‘people with earrings.’
The time-worn tradition of adorning oneself with jewelry has always held a greater significance than mere ornamentation in South Asia. From the Indus Valley Civilization to the Mughal era, jewelry was worn by men and women for sacred, social, and aesthetic purposes. In Nagaland, jewelry is a demarcation of individual and tribe identity, one that is used to distinguish warriors and homemakers in society.
These multicolored earrings, armlets, anklets, necklaces, headgear, and belts are made with materials such as carnelian beads, deomani glass beads, coral, bronze, boar tusks, shells, feathers, ivory, conch shells, cowries, and are widely worn in the region till date. Materials are imbued with symbolism and meaning—red beads, for example, indicate danger, blood, or fire; whereas tiger teeth symbolize courage and conquest. Carnelian and glass beads are considered to contain prayers within them and thicker neck pieces are believed to bring more wealth and prosperity to the wearer and their family. There ornaments are said to be bound to the wearer beyond their mortal lives.
PORTRAITS, LEFT TO RIGHT
-
Mistun: Naga man wearing hat with feathers, ear plugs, neck ornament and upper garment, from an album of nineteen drawings, 1877, watercolor and chalk on paper.
-
Yanuk Kongan: Naga woman carrying a basket strapped to her head and holding a spear with her right hand, wearing traditional garment and neck, ear, and arm ornament, from an album of nineteen drawings, 1876, watercolor and chalk on paper.
- Puntun Rankaintinysa: Jaipur Naga man wearing a green head cap and ear, neck and arm ornament with drawings on his face and body, from an album of nineteen drawings, 1876, watercolor and chalk on paper.
- Moñsili: Naga woman wearing ear-rings, neck ornament and garment, from an album of nineteen drawings, 1875, watercolor and chalk on paper.
- Sarbe Mikir Cooli: Naga man wearing neck ornament, from an album of nineteen drawings, 1877, watercolor and chalk on paper.
- Thuh Bishigaon: Naga female wearing head-gear, earrings, neck ornament and garment, from an album of nineteen drawings, 1877, watercolor and chalk on paper.
- Risia Themokedima: Naga man sitting with folded arms, wearing ear and neck ornament and lower garment, from an album of nineteen drawings, 1876, watercolor and chalk on paper.
- Kesiga Themokelsa: Naga man wearing earrings, neck ornament and garment, from an album of nineteen drawings, 1876, watercolor and chalk on paper.
All images credits:
The Trustees of the British Museum
ARTIFACTS
- Earring ornaments made of shell discs threaded with string, a bead and stick of bamboo, 19th - 20th century, Yimchunger Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Neck ornaments and models of carved wooden humans, 19th - 20th century, Konyak Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Metal cuff bracelet, 19th - 20th century, community unknown. Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Twisted fiber and glass bead necklace with brass accents, 19th - 20th century, Konyak Naga.Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Belt or stomacher made of wood, rattan, brass plates and twisted fiber, 19th century, Konyak Naga. Image credit: The Trustees of the British Museum
- Necklace of 4 boars’ tusks with red dyed cane-work and carnelian conch-shell plate ornamentation, 19th - 20th century, community unknown. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Brass torque necklace with spiral motif, late 19th or early 20th century, community unknown. Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Neck ornament of a carved wooden human head with marks on the face indicating tattoos, 19th - 20th century, Konyak Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Bracelet made of shell, stone and glass, early 20th century, Ao Naga. Image credit: The Trustees of the British Museum
- Models of a Chang warrior with a cane hat and shoulder and loin cloth, 19th - 20th century, Chang Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Carved wooden models of a Sema bridal party in traditional attire, 19th - 20th century, Sema Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Chest ornament of a dark wood carving of a individual wearing bead necklaces and ear ornaments, 19th - 20th century, Konyak Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Woman’s bead necklace with conch shell pendant, 19th - 20th century, community unknown. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Conch shell necklace on a glass-paste beaded chain, late 19th or early 20th century, Ao Naga. Image © credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Breast-plate style necklace of agate, glass, brass, shell, bone, fiber, 19th - 20th century, Ao Naga. Image credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Men’s necklace made of the tusks of wild boars, wood, plaited red-dyed rattan, and shells decorated with red glass beads, early 20th century, Ao Naga. Image credit: The Trustees of the British Museum
- Commemorative head ornament of cane and beadwork, with a black bristle sweat fringe, 19th - 20th century, Konyak Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Neck ornament with enameled tin plate and a boar’s tusk, attached by string and fastened with blue bead toggle, 19th - 20th century, Chang Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum
- Man’s three-string necklace made of red trade beads, shells imitating tiger’s teeth and coiled brass wires, 19th - 20th century, Yimchunger Naga. Image credit: Pitts Rivers Museum