Nagaland Style

We stepped through a simple door like all the others. Except after stepping through this one, we were suddenly made so small. We felt uncomfortable, as if something tipped over, we’d be crushed. We hurried through the room of enormous objects. Things were chunky and crudely carved. Hulking brooding shapes. Baskets and bowls big enough to feed a village (and they probably did). At 1/5 scale these things could be pretty cool. But they were not for us. We scurried out in search of more manageable things.

They were the things of Nagaland. They were in a room at Crafter’s in Cochin. I got the sense they had once belonged to strong people. Survivors. They made steady unshakeable things like these …

Shown at CNNGo, Nagaland tribal doors:

A bed, which could become a coffee table, at Michael Donaldson Antiques:

A table shown at Terra Firma:

A panel used to decorate a village men’s house, available at Under the Bo. See what I mean? Big! (that is not me):

A wood carved chair via Purple Onion — this page is also a fascinating read about the people of Nagaland and their customs:

The textiles, jewelry and other personal adornments of the tribes of Nagaland are predominant with red, black and white. Here’s a collection of Nagaland artifacts via Potala:

Detail of Nagaland textile once available at Zena Kruzick Tribal Art:

Here are bronze cuffs from a tribe of Nagaland, at Guillermina Asian Arts and Antiques:

If you want to learn more from people who have traveled to Nagaland:

• A Rochester, New York artist’s blog about her visit there
• Vineeta Nair of artnlight fame writes about her visit to Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival including many gorgeous photos of the tribal people and their war dress
• A site maintained by the Nagaland State Centre explains the region’s handicrafts

I admit my focus on the objects of Nagaland feels ridiculously superficial, when there is so much to know about the people and the culture. This is making me curious to learn more about them.