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Chapter One. The Material Background |
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Men's belts were made of several coils of cane or of broad strips of bark, with long ends that hung down over the buttocks like a tail. The apron was a rectangular piece of blue cotton cloth which covered the private parts and was tucked into the belt. Old and middle-aged men wore their aprons plain, but boys and young men favored aprons embroidered in red and yellow wool, which was obtained in the markets of the plains. These embroidered aprons were usually the gifts of girlfriends, who in return received such presents as incised combs or ear ornaments. |
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There were minor local variations in male dress and ornament. Thendu men preferred cane to bark belts for everyday wear, and they took a special pride in reducing the waist to an amazingly small size by pulling the cane as tight as was endurable. Their aprons were longer and narrower than those worn in Thenkoh villages. |
