Under the popular museum series ‘Exhibit of the Month’ of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, a traditional object is displayed in the appearance for a whole month. The exhibit for the month of July, 2022 – “Nepy” - A Special Shawl of Konyak chief’s wife Longwa village Mon District of Nagaland, is on display in the indoor exhibition building–Veethi Sankul.
The 'exhibit of the month' was inaugurated by Soma Kiro, Assistant curator, IGRMS, renowned people present on this occasion. This exhibit of the month had been composed by Surya Kumar Pandey, Assistant Keeper.
About the exhibit displayed in the exhibition by Surya Kumar Pandey said that The Konyak is one of the major tribes of Nagaland. This shawl has been collected from a Konyak village- Longwa, situated in the Mon district on the Indo-Myanmar international border where half of the village including the chief's house fall in India and half in Myanmar. The traditional village chief among the Konyak is known as Ang.
The Angship is related to social, political, religious and traditional functions. The Ang solves all the problems of the village. Belonging to Ang's wife – Wangsha, this shawl conveys the meaning of aristocracy, prestige, dignity as also the authority of Ang's wife.
Majority of the tribes in North-East India can be identified by the designs and motifs on their costumes. But this shawl is very different from the common shawls used by the Konyak women as it belongs to Ang's wife. This shawl known as Nepi is woven in three equal parts and stitched together. The base is off-white in colour and is made using bark and cotton fibres.
The vertically oriented extra weft designs at the marginal bands which contain diamond-shaped woven motifs in yellow, green, blue and orange colour provide a unique identity to the shawl. The highlight of the shawl is the presence of round-shaped brass plates. The circumference of the brass plates has a groove pattern, and a garland of small red colour beads adorns the edges. A bunch of red hair on each of these plates are decorated and arranged at various points on the shawl. As the wife of a chief, these decorations are meant to maintain her pride and dignity.
