Naga Monochrome Backstrap-Loom Woven Rectangular Cushion Cover

Rectangular, black and white, dense with motifs, this cushion cover is woven on a backstrap loom by tribal women weavers in the Himalayan foothills of Nagaland. The loom is held against the weaver's body. The motifs are unique to her tribe. The proportions of this cover are dictated by the loom's working width, which is why it is the size that it is.

In Nagaland, the backstrap loom is not a tool apart from the weaver, it is held against her waist while she works, the tension in the weave a product of her own posture and presence. The result is textile that carries human scale in a very literal way. This rectangular cover in black and white uses motifs specific to the tribe that produced it: geometric forms that function as identity markers, tribal language expressed in thread.

The rectangular proportion works as a lumbar cushion, a bolster, or as an accent against square cushions in plain weaves. Black and white is the most direct of all colour combinations, this piece holds its own next to colour without competing with it, and holds its own on a monochrome sofa without disappearing into it.

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.