Tribal hand woven fabrics of Manipur
- Part 10 -

By: Mutua Bahadur *

Mao

There are about nine kinds of Mao indigenous cloths. They are Chiinasa (Fig. 71), Soresa (Fig. 74), Burosa, Soresamani, Sufusa (Fig. 72), Tuchiikhoropa (Fig. 73), Lohre hrechu, Khupidekhusa and Zhososa.

Chiinasa is a wrapper for the unmarried girls and it is a white cloth having wide border stripes of red and black. On the white portion, there are extra weft designs denoting an insect which the Maos know as Kholiiriicha. The chaddar Soresa itself is white with medium red and black bands.

On the white portion, extra weft designs of Soresa (half of animal bone) are found here and there. Soresa motif is also found at the end border of the cloth. Sufusa is a black cloth supposed to be used by married women.

Each border consists of a narrow black band, a wide red band, a narrow red band and two yellow narrow bands. This cloth which has no designs has thick tufts of thread on the end marginal striped area of white, yellow, red and green colours. Tuchiikhoropa is worn as chaddar by womenfolk.

Major portion of the cloth is black. The side border is intertwined in red and green while the end border contains extra weft Laphecha (butterfly) pattern. Most of the faneks of the Mao women are white containing black and pink colour border and these may or may not have extra weft designs.

The white portion of the Mao fanek, Borosa, has extra weft designs. This cloth is worn particularly by rich women and its motif is recognised as 'motif of the rich'. Mao ladies also wear this cloth at dance.

Mao men wrap a kind of cloth known as Lohre hrechu as chaddar. Mao males use a black kilt having four horizontal rows of stout twisted white thread in applique. While dancing, men of Mao also wear a kind of sash having extra weft designs across their breast in a crosswise manner.

A piece of such sash is thrown over the shoulder and the two ends are joined at the opposite side of the wearer's waist.

Another piece of the same kind is also worn in the same manner but from the other side. Recently, a handsome cloth known as Khupidekura accessing needle work of realistic as well as conventional figures, has been produced to be worn by achievers of high status.

It is produced by the Mao weavers following the technique and style of a cloth known as Sami Lanmi which has been used since the remote past by tribal leaders but woven by Meitei weavers.

A person who can offer feast, Omozii (wine) and can erect megaliths in the traditional function, Otokosizoso, has earned the respectful right to wear a cloth known as Zhososa. Those who have no such valour cannot wear the cloth. Zhososa is a white cloth with three rows of white intertwined thread indicating applique art of the tribe.

Maram

The Maram are not so rich regarding their indigenous textiles. Their cloths are Radapai (Fig. 76), Marangli, Kuaneipai (Fig. 75), Beizingli (Fig. 77) and Neikak, etc. Just like the Mao tribe, the Maram male invariably wear a black kilt having four horizontal applique rows of twisted thread. Radapai is a chaddar of Maram men, having white central part and black, white and red stripes towards the border. But the central white part is interrupted by narrow black bands and extra weft designs are also woven in this portion. Some of the Maram express the design as python pattern. One of the chaddar used by menfolk and worth mentioning, is Kuaneipai.

Its larger portion is white despite black border stripes. Central white portion has four longitudinal narrow stripes in black. Kuaneipai is known as Kamalaipai at Lairou. The Maram women wear a skirt called Marangli. It is woven with the major white portion interrupted by black bands having a red line in each of the black bands. But Marangli woven at Maram Khullen bears no design while the same cloth woven at Lairou bears extra weft designs in the border.

The weavers of Lairou produce a new skirt called Beizingli. It has a black colour at the border while the rest is white. On white base, extra weft designs indicating Draving (carrying basket , wine jar, etc.) are woven explicating their affluent art. Both men and women use a waist band that has extra weft designs and known by them as Neikak.

See a gallery photo of Tribal hand woven fabrics of Manipur here.

To be continued ....

Mutua Bahadur

* Mutua Bahadur contributes to e-pao.net regularly. This article was webcasted on December 10, 2012.