Ear Ornament, One of a Pair

Along with 2013.1137.3b, this object comprises a pair of ear ornaments from the Naga people of the Assam region of India, joined together by a string of glass trade beads. Each ornament consists of a wooden core the uppermost portion of which is carved in the form of a stylized human head. The heads are slender and elongated with pointed craniums with the hairline indicated in low relief. The eyes and mouths are inlaid with white glass seed beads although the bead inlay in the mouth of the proper left ornament has since been lost. The heads have square tab-like ears pierced with large central holes in each of which are two small metal rings. Each ornament has two strands of light blue glass seed beads around the neck. Below the head, the wooden core of each ornament is wrapped in strands of yellow and red trade yarn with small traces of red and black hair mosaic visible beneath the yarn at roughly the center of each shaft. The flaring bases of the wood cores are concealed by long plumes of animal hair which has been dyed so that it has alternating red and yellow horizontal stripes.