Both young and old participated in the Kwakie dance, most of them wearing traditional (with contemporary changes) clothing and quite a number donning the traditional huto hat. The long red strings hanging down from the hats traditionally worn by unmarried women reminded me a bit of a Raggedy Ann doll. The hats of the married women were also black and had decorative silver beads, short tassels, and a few pink feathers. Both men’s and women’s hats were donut-shaped, with a large hole in the middle.
The women’s velour-type dresses were multi- colored, had an outer covering similar to a full apron, and “highwater” height pants underneath. Around their waist was a belt, to which a long collection of red strings formed a tassel in the back. Although most of the long red strings are now machine-made, some women braided their own. According to my Lisu acquaintance, a woman would be able to braid up to four strings in one day. Large, heavy multi-layered silver necklaces clanged as they danced. Some women had additional silver ornamentation on their “breastplate” which included extensive use of silver coins and smaller half-sphere pieces. Both men and women carried a pouch, which was draped diagonally across the body.
Both young and old participated in the Kwakie dance, most of them wearing traditional (with contemporary changes) clothing and quite a number donning the traditional huto hat. The long red strings hanging down from the hats traditionally worn by unmarried women reminded me a bit of a Raggedy Ann doll. The hats of the married women were also black and had decorative silver beads, short tassels, and a few pink feathers. Both men’s and women’s hats were donut-shaped, with a large hole in the middle.
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