kilt

Angami Naga man's kilt, keshünye, of plain black homespun cotton with 4 horizontal bands of single rows of cowrie shells and one vertical band of a single row of cowrie shells to one side.

A warrior who has taken an enemy’s head can normally only wear four lines of cowries. But this definition varies from tribe to tribe among the Nagas. However, among Angamis, only warriors or a person of very high status can wear this type of cloth. According to some, the number of cowrie rows signifies the number of lovers the wearer has.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
1969.237
Date
before 1970
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 17.9921 x 46.063 in.; 457 x 1170 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
cotton; cowrie shells
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
LOCATION
In storage
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Collection Information

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