1923.85.281

Collection type

Object

Description

Rich man's orange cloth with a central blue band and narrower blue stripes filled with diamond designs in red wool supplementary weft.

Long description

Rich man's orange cloth with a central blue band and narrower blue stripes filled with diamond designs in red wool supplementary weft. The cloth is constructed of three panels of woven cotton textile: two outer panels with orange warps and a dark blue weft, and the central blue band, stitched together with red wool yarn. The blue band, approximately 90mm wide, has five pairs of orange warp threads. It is decorated along its length with elongated diamond designs in supplementary red wool weft, with two columns of stacked red diamonds at either end. Each of the outer panels has four sets of five orange lines in the weft, and four blue warp stripes, each 28mm wide. Each of the blue stripes is filled with red wool supplementary weft motifs comprising a repeating pattern of three stacked diamonds, known as 'cucumber seeds'. The ends of the panels have more orange weft lines and lines comprising bundles of dark blue weft threads. The warp ends have been twisted and knotted into a fringe at each end.

Geographical reference

India

Asia > Southern Asia > India

Nagaland

Cultural groups

Ao Naga

Person

Field collector John Henry Hutton

PRM source John Henry Hutton

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1924

Date collected

By 1924

Acquisition information

Loaned: 11/1924 Donated: 1928

Materials and processes

Material Cotton Textile Plant, Material Wool Yarn Animal, Process Woven, Process Dyed, Process Stitched, Process Supplementary Weft Woven

Dimensions

Length: max 1570 mm, Width 1280 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1923.85.281

Research and responses

While virtually viewing cloth 1928.69.709, members of the Ao Naga community confirmed that the motif of three stacked diamonds is known as 'cucumber seeds'. It is only used by the wealthy and signifies purity.

The virtual meeting with members of the Ao Naga community, including members of the Watsü Mungdang (Ao apex women's organisation), was organised by the Talking Threads Project and took place on 2nd September 2021. For the full recording please see the project file.

Associated publications

Reference: Naga Textiles Design, Technique, Meaning and Effect of a Local Craft Tradition in Northeast India, Main author: Marion Wettstein; Stuttgart, 2014, Page: 129

Search terms: Textile, Clothing, Status, Body Cloth