Naga Arrowhead Backstrap-Woven Red and Black Cushion Cover

Woven in Nagaland, in India's Northeast, on a backstrap loom by skilled tribal women weavers. The arrowhead motif is specific to a Naga tribal design tradition, a form of visual identity that the weaver carries in her hands, not in any written pattern. This larger handmade cushion cover was made on the same loom as the smaller ones, but requires more warp threads set up and more days to complete.

The arrowhead is among the most recognizable forms in Naga tribal weaving, angular, directional, and precise, it repeats across this cushion cover in red on black ground, the geometry building across the face of the textile like a statement that gets louder the longer you look at it. The weaving was done on a backstrap loom in Nagaland, where the women who make these handcrafted textiles have held this tradition continuously, outside the influence of commercial textile production.

At the larger size, this artisanal cover makes a statement on a floor cushion or a daybed bolster. The weave is tight enough that the cover holds its shape across years of use. The red does not fade quickly, it was set into the cotton before the weaving began.

Backstrap Loom Woven · Arrowhead Motif · Nagaland · Pure Cotton

Care Instructions

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