Naga Cotton Blanket, India

A long cream cloth with a few well-placed stitched squares.

Naga weavers of Nagaland, Northeast India, made this cotton blanket in the 20th century. Light cotton blankets with dark stripes are frequently worn and exchanged in Naga communities, where borders often relate to status. Bands of burgundy and dark brown stripes run down both long sides, leaving a pale, open ground in the center. Small square motifs in gray thread are placed at irregular intervals. A short twisted fringe closes the end, and the cotton has aged ivory.

About 70 by 37 inches. Narrow and tall, it suits a hallway better than a hamper.