Warrior's ceremonial headdress · India, Naga · ID: 3035723
not available anymore
Provenance
Christina Fessler, Zurich, Switzerland, collected in situ, (Kohima, Nagaland)Size
H: 30 cm
H: 11.8 inch
Description
conical bonnet from fine plant fibre netting, dyed in red, with yellow orchid stems forming linear ornaments, decorated with animal hair and two boar tusks, min. dam., slight traces of usage;
written sources reveal that before the Pax Britannica the Nagas used heavy
war helmets made of bamboo which actually functioned as a means of defence. The English later discouraged the incessant tribal feuds which led to the substitution of these heavy helmets with lighter ones like the present one. These headdresses, whose sole objective is to convey the idea of combat readiness and pride in warfare, are worn only on ceremonial occasions.