Trophy ornament

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Description

wooden block, tightly wrapped with plant fibre cord, remains of black and red dyed wild goat’s hair inbetween, long human hair at the bottom, two anthropomorphic heads and two animal horns on top, cotton band for attachment, rep. (both heads?);
part of a warriors ceremonial outfit. When not in use placed as propitiatory images in the “morung”, the “bachelors” house. The two most representative elements in Naga ethics are linked in this trophy: the cut-off human head, here represented by hair and by the two heads, and the horns as symbol of courage and strength.

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Littérature comparée

Somaré Grata & Leonard Vigorelli, The Nagas, Bergamo 1992, p. 50 f. Jacobs, Julian, The Nagas, London 1990, p. 240 ff.

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