1 to 4: Four flat hair staffs made of bone and worn by Naga men at the back of the head. It is around these that the long, dark hair is lifted and put in a bun. All four hair staffs with different patterns of geometrical decoration: lines, jags and waves — engraved and darkly coloured. Three of the bone plates are pierced, to allow for a traversing pin to fix the bun. All four pieces are impressive in their very old and shiny usage patina. No damage. L: from 18 cm to 20 cm.
5 and 6: Two Naga tobacco pipes carved from hard wood. The pipe bowl for both is shaped like a human head. Connecting to it is a pipe made of a single piece and perched atop this pipe is a row of abstract and stylised human heads looking in both directions. The short pipes are trimmed at the end with a metal ring (one copper and one brass). It was here that one was meant to stick an additional bamboo tube in the pipes. These pipes have been heavily ‘smoked with’ and both evince a good old usage patina. No damage. This type of wooden tobacco pipes with carved heads are made and used by the Konyak Naga (in India, Nagaland, and Burma). L: 15.5 cm and 16 cm. First third of the 20th century. (ME)



Lit.: 'The Nagas' by Julian Jacobs, ill. p. 217 (hair-staffs), ill. p. 334 / 335 (tobacco pipes).