1923.85.293

Collection type

Object

Description

Body cloth for a rich man. Red with blue bands and narrow blue lines. With two rows of brass bells along the lower edge.

Long description

Body cloth for a rich man. The cloth is red with narrow blue lines and six blue bands ornamented with red, with two rows of small copper alloy pellet bells along the lower edge. The cloth is constructed of two panels of plain woven red wool, stitched together with spun red and blue yarn. All six blue bands have some red warp threads, and five have supplementary weft decoration in red wool, forming repeated lozenge designs. In one corner at the top of the cloth there are 36 white pearl buttons which have been sewn onto the cloth in a V-shape.

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 Wool Textile Animal, Material Pearl Shell, Material Brass Metal, Process Woven, Process Dyed, Process Stitched, Process Supplementary Weft Woven, Material Cotton Seed Fibre Yarn Plant

Dimensions

Length x Width 1497 x 1121 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1923.85.293

Research and responses

Wettstein describes this cloth during her discussion of the 'Varieties of Men's Shawls of Wealth', under the category of 'Two generations of wealth as a maximum goal: red-and-blue stripes and middle bands.' She writes that "a very interesting specimen is additionally ornamented with a triangle of white buttons and two rows of bells. Even though bells are usually a woman's accessory, everybody who has seen its photograph or drawing had no doubts about identifying this shawl as an (unusual) men's shawl."

Reference: Wettstein, M., 2014. Naga Textiles: design, technique, meaning and effect of a local craft tradition in Northeast India. Stuttgart: Arnoldsche Art publishers, pp.128-129.

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, Bell