NAGA ceremonial apron or warrior's skirt, Chang tribe. Northeastern India.

NAGA ceremonial apron or warrior's skirt, Chang tribe. Northeastern India.
Vegetable fibers, cowrie shells, metal, dyed hair and other materials.
Mounted on pedestal.
Provenance: Zaïra-Miss collection, 1980; Colette Ghysels collection, 1972.
Measurements: 80 cm high without stand; 98 × 22 × 30 cm with stand.

Ceremonial or warrior's apron belonging to the Naga culture, attributed to the Chang tribe. The piece presents a rich composition of cowrie shells, metal, fibers and tufts of dyed hair, articulated on a vertical structure of great visual strength. The circular metal plate and cowrie decoration refer to a symbolic language associated with prestige, protection and warrior identity. Comparable pieces are described as male frontal aprons or loincloths, worn over the front of the body and fastened at the waist.

The Naga comprise various tribal groups settled mainly in northeastern India and bordering areas of Myanmar; among them is the Chang tribe. In their traditional attire, textiles and body ornaments did not merely serve a decorative function, but expressed rank, social belonging, ritual memory and warrior status. The use of cauris, often cut and sewn to the textile support, appears in various Naga ceremonial objects and is linked to both the prestige and protection of the wearer.

Its documented provenance in European collections since the 1980s reinforces the historical and collecting interest of this rare example of Naga tribal art.