Question

D. Draw a traditional Naga house with motifs of your choice. Explain why you
chose those particular motifs or designs.​

Answer 1

Answer: The typical wood-carved ethnic art motifs of the Naga people of north-eastern India were abstractions of mostly animal forms, with a defined relationship to important aspects of the ancient Naga animistic tradition. Each motif had a symbolic aspect. Human figures or sculpted heads related to fertility or the head-hunting warrior tradition were inscribed on wall panels or as individual ritual art pieces. Bison heads, tigers, elephants, snakes, hornbills, barbets, lizards and monkeys were the common animal motifs all of which were symbolic of variously favoured human traits like valour, fertility and power or strength which were the core values of the traditional social system. Within the large pantheon of symbols, the hornbill and the Indian bison or mithun were the most common motifs among the diverse Naga tribes and had great relevance and symbolism in the Naga tradition. The representation of these animal, human and other forms in wood carving was largely found in architectural fenestration or as façade elements.