W

Woven Souls
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Loin Cloth of the Naga Hilltribe
late 19th century
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Asset Code 521

'This apron loincloth contains about 800 cowries that are sewn onto a jute base.
This is popular among the Ao, Sema, Lotha and Rengma groups of Nagas.
It may be worn only by men who are excellent warriors, and traditionally, women are not allowed to touch these.
These rare garments are now used at festive celebrations.
The cowries are collected from the sea and buried in the soil for a definite period
to kill the creature inside and then cleaned and used as ornaments'

adapted from the book 'Naga Cultural Attire &Musical Instruments' by Mongro & Ao

An Example

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