The wooden hair stick of the Lower Konyak tribe from Nagaland is a beautiful piece of tribal art, which serves both as an ornament and in a symbolic capacity. The hair stick is carved from polished wood, demonstrating the elaborate woodcarving traditions of the Konyak people, who often use it as a source of expressing identity, hierarchy, or cultural motifs. The hair stick possesses the distinguishing features of having thirty-two human faces, each distinguished by thirty-two small raised heads carved along the length of the stick. These miniature heads could signify ancestors, spirits, or honored figureheads among the community, whose attributes might be protection, legacy, or valor. The incredible artistry of carving each face with precision is a quality in which the Konyak artisans take great pride and which has enabled them to nurture such proud craftsmanship through the ages.
Even fourteen holes are intricately carved into the stick, seven at either end, just below the heads; the other seven may serve the dual purpose of functionality and decoration by maybe being used to thread decoration fibers or beads, to fasten the hair stick into elaborate hairstyles flaunted by Konyak women or men on ceremonial and festival occasions.In Konyak culture, hair ornaments frequently symbolize age, social class, or matrimonial state. The presence of multiple human motifs on one object therefore might signify the role of the owner in the community or honor a family lineage. Thus, the hair stick also displays the Lower Konyak's skill in miniature wood carving, enriching cultural narratives in everyday adornments