New York, Mar 15 : A visual anthropology of the life of Nagas, particularly the preservation of their traditional culture and their interaction with and adoption of Western religion and influence forms part of a unique exhibition of photographs here.
"Nagas: Hidden Hill People of India", on view through September 21 at The Rubin Museum of Art, features 24 colour photographs by Indian lensman Pablo Bartholomew that document the fascinating fusion of Naga tradition and modernity.
Many photographs depict men wearing traditional, intricately adorned headdresses or necklaces of skulls replicated in metal - each one symbolising a head taken during a raid - and whose faces bear the marks of elaborate ritual tattoos, a statement said.
Others exemplify the influence of western culture such as a photograph of flower girls attending a Baptist wedding or models in Western-style dress applying makeup.
Faced with both tradition and transition, Nagas are divided into a number of tribes and sub-tribes and speak as many as 30 different languages.