8/27/2021 Naga Weaves: An Assertion of Identity : Live History India

Naga Weaves: An Assertion Of Identity Akshata Mokashi and Nehal

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Rajvanshi
April 17th 2021

In the North-Eastern state of Nagaland, handwoven shawls and sarongs are

not a style statement; they are a proud assertion of identity. Time was when
these bright and colourful shawls were a signature not only of an individual’s
tribal identity but also of their status within the tribe, their sub-tribe and a
whole lot more. All this was deftly woven into the colours and distinct motifs
on the shawls, which are a core part of Naga culture even today.

The tribal Hornbill festival of Nagaland | Wikimedia Commons

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Nagaland is home to as many as 16 major tribes and other tribal groupings.

The early history of the Nagas is lost in the mists of time but a few tribes of
the Nagas themselves trace their ancestry to an Indo-Tibetan group of
people who migrated to India. Traditionally warrior tribes, they wear
adornments like shawls, hornbill feathers, cowries and necklaces, which are
markers of valour. Some of them wear special shawls called ‘warrior shawls’
that sport motifs that speak of bravery.

Each Naga tribe has its own colour and motif code, which represents its
distinct identity.

While there is no recorded history of how and when weaving among these
tribes began, they have their own stories and legends about this practice.

According to the folklore of the Ao Naga tribe, a woman called Longkongla

initiated the tradition of weaving. Said to have magical powers and a special
link to the supernatural world, she is believed to have started the tradition of
weaving to separate the clans from each other. According to a legend
among the Yimchunger Nagas, the art of weaving and spinning was learnt
from the realm of spirits.

A woman weaving on loin loom

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8/27/2021 Naga Weaves: An Assertion of Identity : Live History India

There are many features that make Naga weaving unique, one of them
being that it is the preserve of women. Girls are trained to weave when very
young. In fact, weaving is considered an important part of womanhood
itself.

For instance, the Lothas used to believe that a woman was not ready for
marriage if she could not weave and that she was ready to tie the knot only
when she could weave a man’s loincloth. A Zeliang woman would
traditionally present a shawl she wove to her fiancé. And, in another custom,
a Chang Naga groom was supposed to wear a shawl woven by the bride on
their wedding day. In earlier times, weaving equipment even found a place
in a bride’s trousseau.

Sourcing Colours

Turning yarn into Naga weaves is a three-stage process that involves

spinning the yarn, dyeing and then weaving.

Spinning involves simple tools. The cotton is cleaned, the seeds are removed
and then rolled on a flat stone with a short stick. Alternatively, two wooden
rollers are geared to revolve in opposite directions, which are turned by
hand. The fibres are then separated, rolled and spun into thread, using a
spindle.

The spindle is a traditional bamboo tool that the Naga woman puts in a
small basket or a broken piece of an earthen pot that she spins clockwise
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with her right hand. The skeins of the cotton yarn are then damped and
beaten on a wooden board, with a rice pounder or a bamboo. This is then
starched with hot rice water.

Naga textiles were traditionally dyed with dyes sourced from indigenous
materials obtained from the forests. Nowadays, chemical dyes are used for
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A naga cushion cover with blue colour | Peepul Tree

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The blue dye is obtained from the leaves of the Strobilanthes flaccidifolius,
locally called Mosak, or Assam indigo plant, which grows in the dense forests
and is also cultivated in sunny fields. Mosak leaves from the forests are
spread out on palm leaves and left to dry, and then kept in a cool place for
about a month. Then, they are immersed in cold water along with skeins of
cotton yarn, and this is left to rest for three days. Wood ash is added to this
solution on the third day, and the yarn is left inside for another day.
Depending on the intensity of the colour required, the yarn is kept in the dye
bath and then boiled in water with Mosak grown in the sun.

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The dyed threads

Red dye is prepared from the root of a creeper called Aozu or Aowali and
also Tsenyhu. The roots are dried and pounded along with dried leaves of a
tree called Tangshi, and this mixture is blended with the husks of an acid
berry tree called Tango. The yarn is dyed in a solution of this mixture and
water, again for the time it requires to get the right intensity, and is later
dried in shade.

Yellow dye is prepared by the Angami tribe from the wood of a plant called
Athuo.

A Unique Loom

Naga weaves are created on one of the oldest kinds of looms. It is called the
loin loom or the back-strap loom, and it is still used by tribes in Nagaland
today. This is an incredibly simple contraption that consists of six bamboo
sticks held parallel to each other, and the continuous warp, that is, the set of
horizontal threads, is stretched between these sticks. The weaver uses her
back as a support for the loom, hence the name ‘back-strap’.

Loin Loom Weaving

One end of the warp is held with the back-strap. On the warp are slipped
two loops of bark strings, set apart at a distance covering the cloth to be
woven. The weaver keeps the tension of the warp constant, with the support
of her back. The other end of the warp is tied to a door or a wall.

Pit looms and fly shuttle looms are also used by some tribes, but the loin
loom is the most commonly used. Weaving is done by moving the beam
rods up and down, and inserting through shuttles the weft, that is, the set of
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threads that go in at right angles to the warp.

Picking up the warp yarn as per the motifs and inserting the weft

Patterns are formed with the precise arrangement of coloured threads for
the warp and the weft.

Median bands in white are painted with motifs like elephants and the Dao
spear against a black background by tribes like the Aos, Lothas and the
Rangmas.

Motifs & Designs

Signifying valour and strength, the motifs used in Naga weaves are specific
to a clan or a tribe. Designs are made of simple, straight lines, squares and
bands with varying colour arrangements and the use of specific motifs.
Mostly done in reds, whites, blacks and blues, the motifs include stripes,
spears and even some conventional ritual objects.

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Mithun motif

Mithun: Mithun, or Gayal, a large domesticated bovine, is the state animal of

Nagaland. It was the animal of choice for sacrifice, and a person who had
offered a mithun in a feast of merit, a cultural practice of significance
amongst the Nagas, which conferred social status to a person, had the
privilege of wearing a shawl with a mithun’s head motif woven into it.

Rungu: This is a spear used by Naga warriors and hunters, who fought to
protect their land and dignity. It was also used to hunt wild animals for food.

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Chapili: Modelled on an old form of currency used by the Ao and Chang A Power Play
Naga tribes. It looked like a long, thin piece of iron with a bulge at one end,
looking like a long knife. This motif is usually woven into the middle bands of
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Spear and Dao: Symbols associated with fighting, these are actually two Twist
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Tiger & Lion: Often depicted in mythological stories in South-East Asia, Ancient
Northeast India and the Himalayan regions, the tiger stands for strength
and valour and was synonymous with the warrior who wore it. Equally
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Hornbill: The feathers of the hornbill are used by almost every Naga group as
a headdress, and are given utmost importance.

The Ao tribes wear a special warrior shawl called Tsungkotepsu. It has a dark
base with median white bands on either side, and horizontal bands in
contrasting shades of black and red. These are painted with motifs of the
tiger, elephant and mithun. The colour red usually represents the blood of
the enemy.

The Lothas weave the Sutam shawl, which is traditionally a white base with
dark blue, horizontal stripes. Phom Nagas weave Henyu, a red shawl with
narrow horizontal bands at regular intervals. The Sangtam tribe weaves a
shawl called Supong with four grey bands on the top and bottom, on a black
base.

A cushion cover featuring the spear motif | Peepul Tree

Chakhesangs, or the Eastern Angamis, wear the Khonoma shawl, which is a

warrior shawl woven with the spear motif. Mozaluo is also a warrior shawl
woven with spear motifs. Angami textiles, symbolizing bravery, are
traditionally woven in a combination of yellow and orange on a black
background, and with animal motifs embroidered on them.

With the passage of time, the warrior culture of the Naga tribes waned and
their traditional ensemble have evolved into elaborate textiles and motifs
reminiscent of the signatures used by ancient tribes in this region to reflect
their identity.

These traditional colour combinations are now changing to suit modern

tastes, and even colours like pink and green on black backgrounds are now
used. Sometimes, motifs inspired by neighbouring states, associated with

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Christianity, are also seen, such as church bells and holly.

Traditional Naga Cushions at Peepul Tree

The winds of change have impacted traditional handicrafts all over the
world but the Naga weavers and tribes are determined to keep their
tradition alive and turn it into a sustainable craft. Peepul Tree is an e-
commerce platform committed to taking traditional arts and crafts to a
wider audience.

Vekuvolo Dozo weaving on a backstrap/loin loom

Supporting the determination of the Naga weavers, Peepul Tree offers some
of the Nagas’ most traditional motifs through a range of cushion covers
sourced from women artisans in Dimapur, Vekuvolo Dozo and Lovitoli, in
Nagaland. These are hand-woven on the traditional loin loom, in motifs and
colour combinations that are typical to the tribes of Nagaland.

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