The Rathak is a haversack used by the Adi Gallong tribe of the region of Arunachal Pradesh, India’s easternmost region. Made from split bamboo cane, it is a rectangular pouch open at the top, with two rounded triangular pieces that, when worn, provide some basic closure so that object inside won’t fall out. The approximate size of this portable, personal storage unit is 57 cm. (23 in.) x 26 cm. (34 in.). Very much like modern backpacks, Rathaks are designed to carry a few personal items in journeys outside the tribal villages. They are used exclusively by men, in a society that is decidedly patriarchal. It is not easy to speculate about the real use of tribal objects, although it is symptomatic to infer that remote societies in India need personal carrying bags for personal stuff just like we do. The difference is the exquisite simplicity of this one, made entirely with natural bamboo splits woven into a long mat, folded in the middle with its edges stitched together by split-cane binding. There is something about the slim proportion of the object and its thin, strong shoulder straps, that suggest a society used to extreme efficiency and a perfect symbiosis with nature, a consciousness much more advanced than we will ever have in our consumerist society. In the end, what we would probably call “primitive people” are the ones who really get it. Looking closely at the masterfully design rathak is absolutely design-refreshing.
