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Bracelet, 20th Century
probably Naga culture; Nagaland, India
Conch shell; 2 1/4 × 3 3/4 × 3 …
Bracelet
Bracelet, 20th Century
probably Naga culture; Nagaland, India
Conch shell; 2 1/4 × 3 3/4 × 3 …
Bracelet, 20th Century probably Naga culture; Nagaland, India Conch shell; 2 1/4 × 3 3/4 × 3 1/2 in. 2019.15.39 Gift of Anne and Long Shung Shih

Bracelet

ClassificationsClothing and Adornments-arm ornaments-bracelets
Culture Naga
Date20th Century
Made AtNagaland, India, Asia
MediumConch shell
Dimensions2 1/4 × 3 3/4 × 3 1/2 in. (5.7 × 9.5 × 8.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Anne and Long Shung Shih
Object number2019.15.39
DescriptionThis is a conch shell bracelet likely made during the 20th Century in South Asia. Photographs and a wealth of similar objects show that extremely similar objects were worn by Naga women as bracelets, though there is little information on the usage in Nagaland except a more general note that the role of ornamentation is paramount within Naga culture. Many adornments are considered extensions on the human body and as such their usage by different social classes and genders are highly regulated. More research is pending, but per information from the donor this object was acquired in Tibet. An armband in this donation with either Tibetan or Chinese script on it supports this claim, though as of yet no similar objects from Tibet have been discovered.
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Bracelet, 20th Century
probably Naga culture; Nagaland, India
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