Naga Cotton Blanket, India

Bold dark stripes top and bottom frame a tan field dotted with tiny patterned boxes.

This woven cotton blanket is Naga, from Nagaland, Northeast India, and dates to the 20th century. The Naga peoples of northeast India are known for woven textiles, and cloth patterns and colors are generally linked to clan, village or social standing. Broad woven panel in a warm tan ground, bordered at each end by bands of black, red and gold. Two rows of small rectangular motifs in dark thread repeat across the center. Loose fringe hangs from the sides. It is 45.5 inches wide and 64.5 long.

A tidy grid, a confident border, and no loose ends except the fringe.