Khami, Khumi, Mru and Sunghtu, southern Chin groups - Bangladesh and Myanmar

Zantu (Sunghtu) man's tunic in the collection of Deborah Lindsay Garner and Jay Bommer

The Textile Museum Journal 1999-2000 - "Notes from the Field: On the Trail of Khumi, Khami, and Mro Textiles" by Deborah Lindsay Garner and Jay Bommer.

Page 40 - Fig 31. Zantu man's tunic approximately 93 x 81 cm and Fig 32. Detail of Zantu man's tunic shown in figure 31.

Bommer and Garner say on page 39 that: "The Zantu are thought to live in a similar area to the Khumi, Khami and Mro. "The long tunic is worn by the Zantu (or Santu) who live on the lower parts of Lemro River. Their area stretches from Myebon, which is southeast of Sittwe. Local people call the Zantu the "Sea Chin" due to their proximity to the Bay of Bengal. The second type of tunic is worn by men. (figs 31, 32). The men's garments are more somber in colour than the woman's. The black background is striped in beautifully woven, geometrically designed bands of varying widths, in soft warm tones of madder and tan." 

Bommer and Garner refer to the group as 'Zantu (or Santu)'; other literature refers to the group as 'Sungtu' or 'Sunghtu' and this seems to be the name increasingly used to describe them.

The photos above from the Textile Museum Journal article were reproduced by kind permission of Jay and Deborah.  They were not only generous enough to allow me to share the black and white photos above but Jay, knowing that colour makes all the difference, very kindly sent me four colour photos of the tunic which I have made into a small photogallery.