Antique necklace from the Naga tribe, Nagaland, Myanmar. 39x12x4 cms. 159 grams.

This rare and spectacular antique pendant from the Naga tribe is made with a variety of materials such as bone, horn, hair and cotton for the rope. The voluminous head is made from the joint area of a large bone and later the eyes, nose and teeth have been added. The triangular pieces of the necklace are made of bone as well. The “arms” and “legs” are made of deer horn, a species that is abundant in the Naga habitat. 

This necklace was purchased a few years ago by a friend of ours. 

Material: bone, horn, hair and cotton

Weight:  159 grams

Size: 39 (52 cms with the rope) x12x4 cms

Origin: Nagaland, Myanmar

Date: 1900´s ?

The Naga people of Northeast India and Northwest Burma are comprised of a conglomeration of different tribes, united under the “Naga” name to distinguish themselves as a unique political and cultural society within the border of other nations. Though little is known about the origins and history of the Naga people, the jewelry and beadwork for which they are known have been considered by some scholars to be the “most beautiful, elaborate ornamentations of any tribal culture”. For the Naga, theirornamentations are not mere decoration – they’re a part of the wearer’s identity and that of the tribe to which the wearer belongs.