Myanmar · Textile / Beadwork / Ornament
နာဂ ထည် (Naga Hte)
The Naga people of the Sagaing Region (western Myanmar) and Nagaland (India) maintain one of the most visually dramatic ornament and textile traditions in Southeast Asia — historically associated with headhunting ceremony and now maintained as ethnic identity craft. The Naga textile tradition uses a back-strap loom to produce the distinctive shawl (rongsu) with large geometric block patterns in red and black on white cotton — each pattern type indicating the wearer's status (warrior, elder, headman) within the sub-group. The ornament tradition encompasses elaborate beadwork chest ornaments (deo mani — yellow bead necklace reserved for those who have taken a head in historical context), cane headgear decorated with boar tusks and hornbill feathers, and brass arm rings (thevo). CRAFT documents the textile and beadwork making knowledge while noting the historical headhunting context is no longer active.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Myanmar national ICH list; cross-border recognition with India (Nagaland)
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