Black & White Tribal Naga Backstrap-Woven Runner

In the Himalayan foothills of Nagaland, tribal women weavers sit with a backstrap loom, called a loin loom, secured against their own body weight. Each motif in this black and white runner carries tribal identity: specific to a clan, encoded in cloth, legible to those who know how to read it.

Handwoven by tribal women in the Himalayan foothills of Nagaland using a traditional backstrap loom and 100% mercerised cotton with Azo-free dyes, this runner holds a tapestry of motifs that belong to specific Naga tribes. The symbols here are not decorative, they are identifying marks, visual language for community and clan passed down through the hands of weavers.

Black and white on a table reads as resolved. The motifs make this runner legible from across the room as something that came from somewhere, a specific place, a specific people, a specific way of knowing. The table laid with this runner makes a quiet argument about what belonging looks like.

Backstrap Loom-Woven · 100% Mercerised Cotton · Nagaland · Azo-Free Dyes

Care Instructions

• Machine wash cold, gentle cycle.
• Do not bleach. Line dry or tumble dry low.
• Iron on medium while slightly damp.
• Wash separately first two washes.