Such intricate adornments, though commonly worn as waist belts, are with a traditional name, Sumbi. This is being said to be a somewhat symbolic ornament for married women of the Adi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, especially after having their first child. These are unique brass metal discs, sealed onto a leather strap fitted with cane strips and assembled through the design-even as it reflects the two arms of metal work and indigenous weaving, alluringly different and unique craftwork of the tribe.
Every adornment has its significance and meaning, but the Sumbi is not only an adornment; it is also an emotional and cultural emblem for the people. Wearing the belt has a very personal and honorable meaning to the Adi as a marker of motherhood and maturity along with a higher status within a woman. The ends can be tied up by using simple but functional locking systems, which can thus be put on while having some personal life around a traditional ceremony. Being one of the most important ethnic groups of Arunachal Pradesh, the Adi comprises a rich national heritage as represented through oral folklores and complex handcrafts. Adi adornments always bear multiple meanings associated with life stages, gender placement, and spirituality. This brass waist belt is part of the material heritage of India and well denotes the socio-cultural sophistication of tribal identity, gender expression, and artisanal knowledge.