Carved Narratives: Exploring Wood Carving Motifs of Manipur Hill Tribes

This resource book is crafted for academics, students, and practitioners engaged in cultural studies, indigenous art, and visual anthropology. It offers a vivid exploration of wood carving motifs rooted in the lived experiences and spiritual worlds of the Hill tribes of Manipur. Drawing from the ancestral practices of headhunting, the feast of merit, log drums, Y-posts, house architecture, tools and implements, ritual objects, weapons, festivals, ceremonies, animism, magic, and myth, the book delves into how these traditions are encoded in intricate carvings. The Morung system, legendary tales, beliefs around witchcraft, and the journey of the soul all find expression in these wooden surfaces. Focusing primarily on tribal communities known for their carving traditions—Tangkhul, Mao, Maring, and Poumai—the book interprets symbolic meanings embedded in their motifs. It also reflects on surprising design parallels with tribal groups beyond India, inviting comparative insights across continents. Each chapter not only uncovers visual patterns but also offers reflections on the potential of indigenous art forms to resist cultural homogenization in the face of globalization. Carved Narratives is an invitation to read wood not just as material, but as story, spirit, and voice.