Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (National Museum of Mankind) is coming up with a new series entitled ‘Exhibit of the Week’ to showcase its collection from all over India. Under this series, The 'Ranimala', Necklace of the Naga Chief's wife of the Konyak Naga Tribe/ Community from Dimapur, Nagaland, India displayed in the audience as the 1st Exhibit of the July, 2020 through official website, Facebook, Instagram and twitter page of the IGRMS.
Ranimala is an ornament of pride, dignity, and social status of a woman among the Konyak Nagas. It literally means a necklace of the queen.
Traditionally, a heavy ornament of this kind marks the hierarchical social system of the Konyak Naga tribe. The Chief's (Ang) wife used to wear beaded jewellery in great profusion, richly ornamented with brass dangles, jingles, bells, and sea-shells. The necklace comprises of old ceramic and glass-beads, known as Wangsha.
Different shapes of blue, black and white beads are stranded in five threads with three fin-like pendants. It also has a broad strap of small red, blue, and black-beads with jingles and bells hung to it. Pendants of this kind are very much familiar among the Konyak warriors who wear it as chest ornament signifying their headhunting status.
Dotted motifs on the pendant's surface depict their tattoo marks while the curve-like figure represents the tusks of wild boar. They adorn this during their social functions, festivals, and marriage celebrations. This alluring necklace loaded with valuable ornaments glorifies the status of a chieftain's wife and projects the social hierarchy and dignity maintained in the Naga society.
Visitors can see this object from home through the Official site (https://igrms.com/wordpress/?page_id=418) and Facebook site (www.facebook.com/onlineIGRMS), Instagram and twitter page of the IGRMS.