Nagas.

his photograph was taken by Bourne and Shepherd in the 1890s. It is a full-length studio portrait of five Naga men wearing their characteristic headgear with boars' tusks. Nagaland is a modern-day state in the extreme north-eastern corner of India. There are currently over twenty main tribes of Naga people in the area, together with additional subtribes. The social standing of a Naga is bourne out by the number of bone necklaces he wears. It is therefore likely that the central figure in this image held a more prominent position within the tribe than his companions. This print is one of a series of portrait studies of individuals and groups from Eastern Bengal (modern Bangladesh and Assam). It is possible that they were taken in response to the Government of India's call for photographs representing various ethnic types from across the sub-continent.

Photographer: Bourne and Shepherd

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1890