Naga Indigo Backstrap-Loom Woven Tribal Cushion Cover

Woven on a backstrap loom by tribal women in the Himalayan foothills of Nagaland, this cushion cover carries white motifs on indigo cotton, symbols that belong to a specific tribe's visual identity, encoded in thread by the weavers who inherit them. A backstrap loom holds the warp against the weaver's own body. The cloth is as much hers as any signature.

Nagaland's tribal weaving tradition is among the most rigorous in India: each tribe maintains its own distinct motif vocabulary, passed through generations of women weavers who work on backstrap looms, a technique in which the loom is anchored at one end to a fixed point and at the other to the weaver's body, the tension maintained through her posture. The white motifs on this indigo cotton cushion cover are not ornamental; they are identity marks, tribal symbols specific to the community that made them.

Indigo and white is a palette that carries this history without forcing it on a room. The cushion reads cleanly on natural cotton upholstery, on dark wood surfaces, on any bed that has been made with attention. What it holds beneath its surface is a story about the Himalayan foothills, women's work, and a form of textile knowledge that cannot be automated.

Backstrap Loom Woven · Tribal Cotton · Naga Motifs · Nagaland

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.