A traditional cap made of animal skin featuring a circular cane rim, it is a ceremonial headgear of the Naga tribe from Nagaland. Conical in shape with a broad circular base, the cap illustrates the resourceful use of locally available materials by the Naga community. The cane rim, bent with care and affixed onto the base, provides structural integrity and identifies cultural affiliation. Such caps are donned by Naga men during traditional festivities, ritual observances, and community gatherings. The use of animal skin shows how the tribe lives in harmony with nature, while the craftsmanship illustrates unique tribal aesthetics rooted in utility and symbolism.
The conical form is functional and symbolic of different things in different Naga tribes: status, age, or achievements. The cap was found in Nagaland and is preserved in the Indian Museum of Kolkata, wherein is housed the rich material culture of the indigenous communities of Northeast India. This headgear speaks of tribal resilience and identity and embodies the merging of design and tradition in so Called mundane objects worn with pride by the Naga people.