Man's shoulder sash c. mid 20th century

This is a man’s shoulder sash made by Kabui Naga. Look at the dark lines that travel down the sash, intersected by horizontal bands of red, yellow, and green. There’s a rhythm here. Like a musical score. I imagine the maker carefully choosing each thread, weaving them together with focused intention and care. What thoughts ran through their mind as their hands danced across the loom? It must have been a slow, meditative process. It reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin’s paintings, those delicate grids, but here there is a sense of ritual and tradition. The texture is palpable. I can almost feel the roughness of the fibers. And those fringes! They add a playful element, don’t they? Like the final flourish of a painter’s brushstroke. It’s all so wonderfully balanced. We artists are always borrowing, stealing, learning from each other. This sash is a reminder that art exists in so many forms, connecting us through time and culture.