BHOPAL: A head takers’ basket ‘Dangsa’ of Konyak Naga community in Nagaland is the fourth Exhibit of the Week of December.
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal, has displayed the exhibit on its official website and social media pages. The exhibition, which began from Monday, is part of the museum's online series.
The height and breadth of the exhibit, collected from the Konyak Naga community of Mon district of Nagaland in 1998 by the museum, are 30 cm and 34 cm respectively.
Director of IGRMS, Praveen Kumar Mishra, said, "Initially this series is focused on the masterpieces which are considered as unique for their contribution to the cultural history of a particular ethnic group or area. The basket was acquired by the Museum from Abri village in Mon district of Nagaland.
"The head-hunting practices of the Naga tribe were associated with the fertility cult. The insignias of successful head-takers in the days of head-hunting appeared in different kinds of their personal adornments and belongings. These were most significantly the headgears, warrior’s baskets, necklace, chest ornaments, dress, etc. The items of status used to be decorated with carved wooden figures, horns of buffalo, monkey skulls, tusks of wild boar, tassels of wild grass, barks and dyed goat’s hair," he says.
The director said, "Dangsa is one such basket of the Konyak Naga warrior decorated with three monkey skulls, and tusks of wild boars. It is a tightly woven basket with a rectangular base that rose to an elliptical rim. The rim bindings are skillfully prepared with cane splits. The sides and base of the basket are reinforced with solid sticks of cane as strengthening elements. It has a strap for hanging around the shoulder."
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