Naga Bag

Dimensions: 20cm high, 24cm wide and 12cm deep.
Code: CANE 0121

Bought in Guwahati, Assam, this tribal piece was made in the nearby North-eastern state of Nagaland. It is a traditional hand-woven cane basket with a long-woven shoulder strap. One side is decorated with cloth and glass beadwork.

The Northeast region in India comprises eight states and is home to diverse communities of tribes and ethnic groups, each having quite distinct traditions, languages and crafts. Bamboo, cane and a wide variety of reeds are abundant and widely used to create a range of utilitarian objects. The woven craft was once practiced routinely within most households as a normal part of tribal life, however, today the skills are in danger of being lost to all but a few traditional artisans.

As well as making carrying baskets, storage containers, fishing and hunting tools; the normally functional craft extends to personal adornment and occasionally ceremonial items. It is also evident in local architecture and public engineering in the form of fences and bridges.

The hilly state of Nagaland is particularly well known for producing finely detailed and intricate baskets from split cane. The village of Khonoma is home to the most acclaimed craftsman from the Angami Naga tribe. They make the elegant and elaborate Kophi (carrying basket) that is gifted from a groom to his future bride. Other villages have other specialist products including unique rain shields, ceremonial baskets for weddings and backpacks for hunters on expeditions.