Naga Tribal Backstrap-Loom Black & Red Cushion Cover

The women weavers of the Himalayan foothills in Nagaland have carried this craft across generations without a school, a curriculum, or a factory. The knowledge passes body to body, one woman to the next, through the backstrap loom, a device so simple it needs only a post and a person. This red-and-black piece carries tribal motifs that are not decoration; they are a kind of writing.

Handwoven by tribal women in Nagaland on traditional backstrap looms using high-quality cotton yarn, this cover carries geometric motifs that are specific to the weaving tribe's identity. Each Naga tribe has its own visual vocabulary; what you see here is not ornament borrowed from a general archive but symbols with particular meaning to the people who made them.

The red is deep and settled, not the red of synthetic dye at full saturation, but the red that comes from cotton taken seriously. Put it on a reading chair or a window seat. It will hold its color and its form in equal measure.

Backstrap Loom Woven · Pure Cotton · Nagaland, Northeast India · Tribal Motifs

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.