To understand the craft traditions of
north-eastern India, one must know the terrain,
its people and their way of life. For in
this area, as is in most other parts of
India, crafts are not practiced as hobby,
nor are they a commercial venture; they
are very much an integral part of the life
and customs of the people.
The Background
The northeast of India is like a variegated
patchwork quilt. A multiplicity of tribes
and tribal groups each with its own distinct
culture inhabit this region. Indigenous groups, such as the Kacharis
and the Bodos, inhabitants of the Brahmaputra
valley, were conquered by Ahoms, a Buddhists
tribe, in the thirteenth century. Earlier,
the Tai-Khamtis, who to this day adhere
to their Buddhist faith, came in from the
east and settled in what is now the Lohit
district of Arunachal Pradesh. Thus, the
area became the stage for the interplay
of varying cultures and religions, the main
ones being Hinduism and Buddhism. As a result,
a certain commonalty in their cultural patterns
also accrued, although many differences
persisted.
Handicrafts, one of the threads woven into
the tribal fiber of life, also developed
certain common characteristics.
A common feature of the entire region is
that weaving is practiced alike by all tribal
groups in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur
and in the valley of Assam. There are only
a few exceptions, such as the Nokteys of
Tirap in Arunachal Pradesh and the Khasis
of Meghalaya who do not weave.
Only Women WeaveIt is the women who are the real clothiers
of this north-eastern region. Whether it
be the Monpas and Sherdukpens of Kameng,
the Mishmis and Khamtis of Lohit or the
wives of the Wanchoo chieftains of Tirap
in Arunachal Pradesh, or any of the Naga
tribes, or even the Assamese in the plains,
it is the women who weave unlike the rest
of India, where men predominate the weaving
profession. Many of the tribes have a taboo
which prohibits weaving by a man who, it
is believed, would lose his virility were
he to follow this effeminate craft.
Different Style Of Weaving
The weaving in the hilly parts of this
region differs from other Indian states
in that the loin-loom is used here as opposed
to the larger fly-shuttle, throw-shuttle
and pit-looms used in Assam and in the southern
states of India. This loom is also found
in Mexico, Peru and Guatemala where it is
known as the 'backstrap Loom'.
Loin - Loom A Simple Machine
Contrived out of bamboo, the loin-loom
is simple, cheap and mobile. The weaver
can bask in the sunshine as she weaves or
roll up her work and move indoors if threatening
clouds darken the horizon. Although the
loin-loom is a simple device, the products
woven on it vary in texture, color and design.
Every tribe has three or more distinctive
cloths of its own. An important aspect of
the weaving is that the designs are a result
of a process of evolution. They are not
just something created individualistically
by the weaver but have a cultural significance.
Every weaver uses this canvas to trace new
designs and manifest her creativity keeping
in mind the traditional norms. They may
be inspired by phenomena of nature: the
markings on a snake, the black and white
of the human eye, or the design on a butterfly's
wings.
Using Colors And Designs
The colors originally used in the traditional
tribal cloths were white, black, red and
blue. In some cases, the designs are highly
sophisticated while others depend on a combination
of color for artistic effect although the
pattern may consist of a series of parallel
lines only. Examples of the latter are provided
by the skirts or 'galles' of the Adi tribes.
While the cerise red galles of the Padams
and Minyongs of Siang district are quite
stunning with no design other than a border
running through the middle of the skirt
in fine lines in black, the Galong girls
wear white galles with black lines. The
effect of the solid monochrome skirts is
spectacular when the girls are performing
a group dance known as the 'punong'.
The shawls of the Digaru Mishmi women of
Lohit are an example of a very elaborate
design in weaving. The warp is black cotton
but the designs are woven in maroon red,
deep pink, (with a touch of green sometimes),
outlined by a silver thread. The main body
of the cloth is patterned with geometric
designs, the diamond or rhombus being predominant.
As the width achieved on the loin-loom is
narrow, three strips are woven separately
and joined together to obtain the desired
width. Worn with matching bodices, very
similar to short cholis, silver ornaments
in their hair are piled high on the head
in chignons. A long silver hair-pin holds
the chignon in place and a long silver smoking
pipe complements the ensemble.
Tribal Heritage
In Tirap District of Arunachal, the main
tribes are the Nokteys who have no tradition
of weaving. But their neighbors, the Wanchoos,
who were head-hunters until about four decades
ago, carry their memories of head-hunting
in their woven artifacts. The wives and
daughters of the Chieftains use a miniature
loin-loom on which they weave 'lengtis'
(loin-cloths) for the men and shoulder bags.
On a warp of coarse cotton like fiber, designs
in vivid red, orange, yellow, outlined with
black are woven in. Stylized human figures
stand out while there are also geometrical
patterns. These designs are also replicated
in the beadwork of this tribe, which is
quite outstanding.
Besides the Wanchoos, the Singphos, a Buddhist
tribe who migrated into Tirap from the northern
parts of Burma, are also skilled weavers
who continue their traditions of weaving
and design, which they had brought with
them. This is corroborated by comparing
specimens made across the border by the
'Chingphos' of Burma.
Quite different in character is the style
of weaving practiced by the Apatanis of
the Ziro plateau in Subansiri district of
Arunachal Pradesh. While the women folk
wear coarse skirts in a natural colored
fiber with borders in blue, the jackets
for the men are quite fashionable. On a
white cotton warp, black designs are woven
in wool. After a few inches, an orange thread
runs horizontally through the pattern, which
is quite striking. The jacket is woven in
a straight piece divided into two halves
on the loin-loom itself to make the two
fronts. The sides are joined together leaving
an opening on either side for the armholes.
Incidentally, the Mishmi men also have very
smart jackets woven in black with the same
designs as the women's shawls and bags-that
is diamond patterns in red, pink and silver.
Among the Adis, the men wear 'galuks' (short
coats generally in green cotton or even
in blue).
In Kameng district, neighboring Subansiri,
the Monpas and Sherdukpens who live on a
higher altitude used horses to traverse
from one village to another. Now, with the
advent of motor transport the horses are
mostly found on the deep rose colored shawls
woven in endi silk. The Monpas and Sherdukpens
are Buddhists and their entire gamut of
handicrafts such as the tankha paintings,
the wood carvings and wooden artifacts are
reminiscent of the repertoire of the Bhutanese,
who follow the same techniques and use the
same patterns and colors. In fact, Bhutan's
eastern boundary is coterminous with Kameng
and it is believed that these designs originated
in Bhutan initially. The Monpas and Sherdukpens
use shoulder bags extensively and these
bags are really masterpieces of the weaver's
art. Very elaborate geometrical patterns
are skillfully blended and woven in shades
of red, black, green, yellow, orange and
white.
These examples are only illustrative of
the variety and beauty of the many cloths,
which emanate from the loin-looms of Arunachal
Pradesh. Old designs, which are hereditary,
are incorporated with newer patterns. The
aeroplane, for instance, a novel sight in
the Arunachal skies a few decades ago, was
woven into a Mishmi shoulder bag as a stylized
motif.
With deft fingers and an elementary appliance,
a woman in North- East weaves magic into
her hand-woven textiles.
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