Tactile Traditions

Weaving and rug making are true arts, especially in India, a place steeped in a long tradition of textile craft. Our new rug collection is made up of pieces that are all handcrafted in India, using age-old techniques. There’s a true character to them, with a sense of the hand in every loop. To give you a closer understanding of how these organic fibres come together as beautiful interior fixtures, join us for a dive into India’s textile history.

India’s rug making roots stretch all the way back to the 16th century, during the time of the Mughal empire. Traditionally, Indian farmers tried their hand at the craft as a means of bringing in a bit of extra money. They would weave the rugs at home with the help of their family and take them to market alongside the fruits of their fields. Because of this highly personal approach, there’s a rich and extraordinarily varied array of rug styles emerging from India. There you’ll find everything from simple, geometric designs to intricate, traditional patterns.

There are very few sheep in India; so, weavers turn to top-quality producers like New Zealand and Sardinia for their wool. Our rugs are made from 100% New Zealand wool, giving them a beautifully soft texture with natural durability built in. The wool forms the weft of a rug, or the horizontal threads. The warp, or vertical threads, are made of cotton, giving the textile its ultimately invisible structure and stability.

Today, Indian rug production tends to be more streamlined, with centralised workshops bringing artisans together under single roofs. There’s a sharing of knowledge and skills that happens in these places, with craftsmen often teaming up on larger textiles. This drawing together of manifold regional styles has produced new and distinctive incarnations of traditional templates, breathing fresh life into an age-old Indian art.