Warrior hairpin ·  India, Naga, Mon and Tuensang Districts · ID: 3035015

Description

wood, dark brown patina, of slender form, the upper part carved with forteen stylized heads, red coloured tuft of goats hair attached, collection number “GLB43/2/1991” backside, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, socle;
in many Naga groups men wear their hair cut in a straight line short above the ears, which looks like a cap. Sometimes a strand of hair in the nape is left to grow. It is tied to a knot which is crossed by a big ornamental hairpin which indicates the status of its owner. The carved heads symbolize the numbers of heads taken by the warrior.

The object Warrior hairpin with the object ID 3035015 was last part of the auction 73rd tribal art auction at May 25, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 26 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,000.

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Publications

Somaré Grata, Vigorelli, Leonardo, The Nagas, Bergamo 1992, p. 87