Sütsüpfü (Ao Naga term for the principal male achievement shawl)
The Sütsüpfü is the most prestigious achievement shawl of the Ao Naga people of Mokokchung district, Nagaland. Woven in a deep blue-black ground with broad bands of red and white stripes and a central panel of bold geometric motifs — including the distinctive Ao 'hand' motif representing acts of valor — the Sütsüpfü is structurally distinct from the Angami Lohe and other Naga shawls in its heavier ground weave, its specific color proportion, and its use of broader horizontal pattern bands rather than the vertical center-panel structure of Angami work. The Ao entitlement system is managed through the morang (traditional youth dormitory institution) and the village council. The Ao are one of the largest Naga tribes (approximately 200,000 people) but active loin-loom weavers are estimated at fewer than 500.
Risk level: Endangered · Not inscribed
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