Naga Konyak Head-Hunter Warrior Necklace - Glass trade beads

Type of object: Prestige necklace / ceremonial tribal ornament Tribe / Region: Konyak Naga people, Nagaland region (northeast India / Burma) Era: First half of the 20th century (circa 1920-1940) Materials: Bronze/brass (lost-wax), Sacred conch shell (Chank shell), Ancient trade beads (glass), Patinated indigenous wood, Animal bone elements, Natural fiber cords of origin (hemp/jute) Condition: Good overall tribal wear. Stunning patina of age. The attachment fibers are original and intact, reflecting its authenticity. Dimensions: Total length: 49 cm (without clasp) | Wooden plaque: 21 cm x 13.5 cm Weight: 353 g (Substantial weight confirming the density of period materials) French: Rare and authentic ceremonial necklace of the hunter-warrior of the Konyak Naga people (Nagaland, northeast India), dating from the first half of the 20th century. This ornament of high prestige was used to display the wearer’s social status, valor, and power within the clan. The breastplate is built around an imposing triangular wooden plaque, blackened and hardened (21 x 13.5 cm), which presents a superb patina of dark, matte wear. At the center sits a large disk carved from a sacred conch shell (Chank shell), meticulously decorated with geometric dotted motifs made with a point, and crowned in its heart by a red glass bead symbolizing vital life force. On either side, the necklace features two miniature trophy heads cast in bronze by the lost-wax process, symbolically representing the enemy heads taken in battle. The lower part is richly adorned with bone or animal tooth pendants, individually mounted by twisted fiber cords and interspersed with coral-colored spacer beads. The necklace is suspended by a double strand of ancient glass trade beads in blue-turquoise fused glass, with a translucent, irregular look characteristic of the material. An ethnographic piece of high quality, completely preserved in its original indigenous mounting, ideal for collectors of Asian primitive art and exceptional tribal art. Careful shipment with tracking."

Estimate:$224.08

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