The Konyak tribe of
Nagaland practiced headhunting into the 1960s. Their
strong warrior tradition arose from territorial
conflicts between rival tribes and villages. On the
battlefield they were feared for their headhunting
skills. They beheaded their enemies and brought back the
severed heads as trophies in a specially designed basket
they carried to the battles.
The heads were then proudly displayed on the walls and
doorways of the warriors.
Some of those warriors are still alive today.
This warring tradition is, as you can see below,
reflected in their art and that is maybe the reason why
it has intrigued so many collectors for decades.
Naga ornament - 18 * 21 cm
Naga brass torque
The ornament displayed above is
exclusively made for a Konyak warrior who has captured
two heads from a hostile tribe. After a victorious
fight, brass casters were commissioned specifically to
commemorate a warriors head-taking prowess. The number
of heads collected used to indicate the power and
strength of a warrior, so in this case two
trophy heads were taken in a raid by the owner.
This ultra rare torque was cast in one piece. It is in
perfect condition and has an outstanding patina and
incredible signs of wear.
Age: Late
19th century
Referance
Barbier: Art of Nagaland
The Barbier-Muller Collection Geneva, Los Angeles County
Museum of Art, 1984.
Naga head -
51 * 38 * 25 mm
This bone Konya head is small, but with a very powerful
facial expression
Naga shell 1 - 78 * 61 * 15 mm
Konya ear ornament
Chank shell, bamboo and red glass bead.
As with the other art pieces displayed here, this was
worn exclusively by Headhunters.
These ornaments are decorated with anthropomorphic
motifs, in this case, the buffalo horn V.
Naga warriors had this 'V' tattoed on their chests to
increase their power.
Naga shell 2 - 66 * 55 * 8 mm
NAGA PIPES These extremely rare pipes with their powerful
portrait of dead enemies' heads were only allowed to use
by actual walk-the-talk head hunters. Smoking tobacco
from these pipes was meant as a display and reminder
of heroic deeds once performed by the smoker.
