Phoichal, thick cream cotton woven blanket with cottonwool facing.

Collection type: Object
Description: Phoichal, thick cream cotton woven blanket with cottonwool facing.
Long description: Phoichal, cream coloured hand spun and handwoven cotton blanket with cotton wool facing. The cloth is made in two pieces and is hand sewn together down the centre using cream thread. There is a band of plain weave ground fabric at each end with the warp ends forming a very short fringe at one end.
Geographical reference: India
Asia > Southern Asia > India; Assam Nagaland Mizoram
Cultural groups: Thado
Person: Field collector James Philip Mills; PRM source James Philip Mills
Date / Period: Date made: Before 1924
Date collected: February 1924
Acquisition information: Loaned: 10/1924 Donated: 1928
Materials and processes: Material Cotton Seed Fibre Textile Plant, Material Cottonwool Fibre Plant, Process Woven, Process Stitched, Process Spun
Dimensions: Width 1190 mm
Object numbers: Accession number: 1928.69.734
Research and responses: This textile was viewed by S. Seigoulien Haokip, a Kuki PhD researcher from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS University of London on Friday 25 July 2025, organised as part of the Clothworkers’ Textile Project.
This textile has been confirmed as Kuki Thado. The local name is Phoichal.
“With regard to dyes and materials, in the past, the Kuki weavers used to make their own yarns and dyes from organic sources. Today, the yarns available in different colours are directly purchased from the market.” [EW 27/08/2025]

Search terms: Clothing, Textile, Blanket, Body Cloth

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