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This blog is for us, the present generation of educated APATANIs (or Taniis), who have learnt many things about internet and modern technologies... but are also gradually loosing touch with our mother tongue (i.e. Tanii agun).

This is the challenge of our generation to preserve our heritage, and no doubt for that internet can be a valuable tool. Let us make this website our common resource to remain connected to our roots, wherever we may be living. Let us save Tanii, let us teach and learn Tanii language !

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Tanii beads 3 : Turquoise-blue glass beads

The Taniis use turquoise-blue round, chunky or cylindrical beads to make large necklaces worn by women known as santer tasan and sampyu tasan. Though imported from Tibet and indeed reminiscent of the true turquoise stones much prized by the Tibetans, they are in fact Chinese glass beads commonly known as "Padre" beads, whose colour is similar to those of turquoises (it can be also turquoise coloured tile beads in some cases). They are very popular among the Tibetans as among most indigenous communities of Arunachal Pradesh.

  • sambyu : medium size light blue beads (top)
  • santer : larger type of light blue beads (bottom)








  • santer page is a blue melon-shaped glass bead of the larger type (santer). On this picture displaying a few old beads the original shape has been abrased and only notches remain visible.




The smallest type of turquoise-blue glass bead is called sampyu. It comprises :
  • - alan : roundish, chunky beads
  • - sampyu peron or sampyu perun : literally "bean sampyu", cylindrical in shape

alan and sampyu perun interspersed on sampyu tasan




  • - sampyu page : melon-shaped bead





An old Tibetan necklace made of melon-shaped turquoise-blue glass beads (for comparison)

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