Currently Documented · 7 Motifs from Northeast India
Assam · Brahmaputra Valley
Bisoni Gai
Traditional Assamese hand fan motif
The Bisoni (hand fan) is a ubiquitous object of Assamese daily life — used in homes, kitchens, and ceremonies for centuries. Its geometric form, translated into embroidery, carries the quiet dignity of the everyday. Found in traditional Assamese weaving and now documented for contemporary wear.
Found on: Waistcoat, Tote Bag, Cap
Active in Collection
Assam · Ahom Kingdom Heritage
Kingkhap
Royal Ahom silk weaving pattern
Kingkhap is a traditional pattern from the Ahom kingdom's royal silk weaving tradition — worn only by royalty and high nobility for centuries. The geometric repeat pattern in silk is one of Assam's most recognisable heritage textile designs, documented from 13th-century Ahom manuscripts and palace records.
Found on: Waistcoat
Active in CollectionAssam & Arunachal Pradesh · Brahmaputra Banks
Mishing Geometric
Mishing (Miri) tribal weaving tradition
The Mishing people, who live along the banks of the Brahmaputra and Subansiri rivers, weave intricate geometric patterns into their traditional Galuk and Mibu garments. These bold, angular designs — often in red, black, and white — encode relationships with rivers, nature, and community memory into every thread.
Found on: Coming soon
Under ResearchAssam (Bodoland) · Lower Brahmaputra Plains
Bodo Dokhona
Bodo tribal textile tradition
The Dokhona is the traditional garment of Bodo women, woven on the loin loom with distinctive floral and geometric motifs in silk and cotton. Bodo weaving uses natural dyes and carries sacred patterns passed down through generations of women weavers — each pattern holding specific ceremonial and social meaning within Bodo society.
Found on: Coming soon
Under ResearchAssam (Karbi Anglong) · Central Hills
Karbi Weave Motif
Karbi tribal weaving tradition
The Karbi people of the central Assam hills weave textiles of remarkable complexity. Their traditional Poho (waist-wrap) and Dambong garments feature bold horizontal bands of geometric figures — stylised animals, trees, and ancestral symbols — woven in bright silk threads against dark cotton grounds. Each Karbi weave is a visual record of clan history.
Found on: Coming soon
PlannedAssam · Central & Hill Districts
Tiwa Textile Symbol
Tiwa (Lalung) tribal textile tradition
The Tiwa (also called Lalung) people weave traditional garments of great delicacy — particularly the Riho (shawl) worn by women, with its distinctive border patterns of stylised flowers, birds, and geometric diamonds. Tiwa textiles are among the lesser-documented traditions of Assam, and their preservation in contemporary form is an act of cultural memory.
Found on: Coming soon
PlannedMizoram · Lushai Hills
Mizo Puanchei
Mizo tribal weaving — the "flower shawl"
The Puanchei (literally "many-coloured shawl") is the most celebrated textile of Mizoram — worn by Mizo women at festivals and major life events. Its horizontal bands of vivid multi-coloured geometric motifs are woven on traditional back-strap looms and represent joy, prosperity, and belonging. The Puanchei is one of Northeast India's most visually striking textile traditions.
Found on: Coming soon
Planned