| caption: |
Chapter One. The Material Background |
| caption: |
bark fibre preparations for weaving ( Thendu ) |
| text: |
The utilization of bark fibre in the manufacture of cloth was a peculiarity of Thendu villages, and there can be no doubt that in the Naga hills it constituted the older of the two weaving mediums, for no population capable of growing and spinning cotton would adopt the stiff coarse fibre of the Urticacaea shrub and involve themselves in the laborious and complicated methods of processing. The bark had first to be torn to shreds, teased out, and dried. From this a coarse thread was spun on an ordinary spindle, which was weighted by a stone or hardwood whorl. But the yarn was, in this state, too rough to be used for weaving, and long hours of boiling in water were necessary before it became sufficiently pliable and could be woven into cloth. |
