Young man's ornamental girdle decorated with two fringes of red goat-hair cut short and bound with orchid stalk and 18 long, thin, red tassels ending in short tufts of red goat hair.

Collection type: Object
Description: Young man's ornamental girdle decorated with two fringes of red goat-hair cut short and bound with orchid stalk and 18 long, thin, red tassels ending in short tufts of red goat hair.
Geographical reference: India
Asia > Southern Asia > India; Nagaland Zunheboto district Seromi
Cultural groups: Sümi Naga
Person: Field collector Robert Niel Reid; PRM source Robert Niel Reid
Date / Period: Date made: Before 1942
Date collected: 1937 - 1942
Acquisition information: Donated: 1946
Materials and processes: Material Goat Hair Animal, Material Orchid Stem Plant, Material Pigment, Process Dyed
Object numbers: Accession number: 1946.7.8
Research and responses: Related Documents File - Correspondence from Robert N. Reid concerning his collection of 'pieces of typical home-woven cloth from the Assam Hill tribes . . . Naga, Lushai, Kuki, Grio, Khasi & so on, and a few articles worn by those tribesmen' which he wishes to donate to the Museum. Letter dated 6 May, 1946 includes list of objects sent to the Museum. Letter dated June 17, 1946 discusses the 'Cochari' work: 'I have a very hazy recollection as to when they were presented to me, but I know I was given some cloth of the kind you mention at a village (of Cocharis . . .) was DIMAPUR when I was starting on a tour in the MIKIR HILLS . . . they may, on the other hand, be Assamese, although that is a very vague term'. Letter from Robert N. Reid to Mr. Bradford dated July 26, 1946, in which he agrees with Bradford's use of the collections as 'barter' material with the 'Danes and the French' as this 'will help raise our stock in those two countries, when they seem to be taking rather a poor view of the English!' [GI 17/1/2002]

Search terms: Ornament, Ritual and Ceremonial, Status, Waist Ornament, Ceremonial Object, Status Object