Nagaland, a hill state in northeastern India bordering Myanmar, and home to 16 major tribes belonging to the indo mongoloid ethnic group, has a rich tradition of hand-woven shawls.
Made of bamboo and wood, the backstrap loom has two parallel bamboo ends. One is attached to a wall or any other suitable place, and the other to a leather strap that is worn around the weaver s lower back. As the loom is light and adaptable, the weaver can attach it to a tree and weave outdoors as well. The warp threads are tied to the two bamboo stalks and when the women weave they lean against the leather strap to keep the warp threads well stretched, polished bamboo sticks are used for creating the shed in the warp threads. Weft yarns are passed across the warp and are pushed in place with a wooden stick to create a neat weave.