Armlet, 20th Century
Naga culture; Nagaland, India
Horn; 3 7/8 × 5 3/16 in.
2019.15.35a,b
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Armband

ClassificationsClothing and Adornments-arm ornaments

Culture Naga

Date20th Century

Made AtNagaland, India, Asia

MediumHorn

Dimensions2019.15.33a,b: 3 7/8 × 5 3/16 in. (9.8 × 13.2 cm)
2019.15.33a: 3 7/8 × 5 3/16 in. (9.8 × 13.2 cm)
2019.15.33b: 3 13/16 × 3 7/8 in. (9.7 × 9.8 cm)

Credit LineGift of Anne and Long Shung Shih

Object number2019.15.35a,b

DescriptionThis is an armband made from the vertebrae of a gayal, a species of large cattle endemic to parts of Southeast Asia. The role of ornamentation is paramount within Naga culture, to the degree that many adornments are considered extensions on the human body. The use of adornments is highly regulated, and whether a man is allowed to wear one of these armlets—historically from elephant ivory rather than horn—is a function of both his hereditary and earned status.

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