Honour and Heritage of Manipur -- Shaphee lanphee Embroidery

Shaphee means ‘fabric of animals and wars’. Meita women of manipur woven and embroidered the elegant shaphee lanphee with cotton thread usually as a shawl.

History 

Shaphee fabric is the heritage of khoisnam lineage. The story is that the king saw a man of khoisnam clan riding on the horse wearing the shaphee lanphee and the king was so charmed that he adopted it as a form of honoring brave naga chiefs of Manipur.

According to holograph titled Loiyuonba silyen,  the king Loiyumba sanction this product to be woven by the Khoisnam family. Though the product was revived in the 20th century. 

Credence 

One of the belief is that this particular craft with complete motifs protects the house from any evil. Another belief is that a bed sheet of the shaphee lanphee are use during buried ceremony of a death man or wedding because it is having godly power. 

Products

The craft comprising on loom or Waistloon  with beautiful motifs and embroidered on yarn. The crafted products had more demand like decorative item,  bed cover, shawls, waist coat, scarf, bags, curtain and many more in the national and international market. 

Description 

Shaphee lanphee embroidery is done over a black color cloth with red border. Some of the motifs in the embroidery are elephant, horse, buffalo horn, peacock, fish, sun, moon, star, magical seat, spear –these designs are done in a pattern and sequence set in operation generally the embroidery is done by hand using needle and yarn of cotton. 

The religious noteworthy motifs crafted on them. The base part of the fabric has red color having sun,  the white strips at both borders donating the cosmos of the sky and the stars. The moon and sun indicates mother and father. The magical seat and the elephant related to the royalty, while the spear heads and fishes indicated the tales of the king Naothingkhong. 

Cotton ball or lashing and kabrang yarn is used to make the unimaginative fabric. The extracts from the bark of the tree, locally known as santhak are also used in making process. Then the threads are made from local fabric and dyed naturally. Now the rice is used to starch the fabric. The bamboo rod is used to Strach and then winding into bobbin. 

Loin and frame loom used to weave the fabric and motifs are made with needle work without frame using Manipuri cotton and/or occasionally silk thread.

The text of the manuscript “Loiyumba silyen” gives few names of royal weavers of the time of Meidingu Loiyumba Such as Naotam phishaba, Heisu naha Phishaba, and more. 

Recognitions

Recently, shaphee lanphee handicrafts of Manipur has got the registration under geographical Indication (GI). Typically this conveys an assurance of quality and distinctive which defines it’s origin in that defined geographical locality, region or country. An inspection agency is also form which includes master craftsman’s, societies, and the government department protect the quality of the crafts. 

Revival 

The shaphee lanphee craft was revived with the attempt and hard work of Maisnam Nalini Devi, a weaver from Wangkhei yonglan, her sister Mailman Anita and their mother Keinahanbi. Anita and Keinahanbi were honored with state award in 1992 for encouraging and recovering the craft from the vanishing. Nalini Devi also received the master crafts person award in 2009 for promoting the craft. Nalini Devi also providing training to few local women trainee who would carry on the craft for the legacy to come. 

Due to such craft person, who dedicate their life to the craft, our heritage craft are breathing , proud of their toil.

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