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ABOUT US

All craft is storytelling. It is the story of makers and their materials. It is a tale of practices reaching across continents, islands, and oceans— a history of people and beloved everyday objects. When we bring these things into the warmth of our homes we, too, become part of the story.

About

The art of hand block printing —in order words, dyeing and coloring a textile using carved wooden blocks to stamp patterns onto its surface— is one that transcends borders. While the technology of printing designs onto cloth is believed to have come from China some 4,500 years ago, the craft would evolve over the centuries as it travelled from land to land. By the twelfth century, the Indian subcontinent would transform into a vibrant center of textile development where local expertise in natural plant dyes and fixatives enabled hand block printing to reach unprecedented levels of visual complexity. British colonization during the nineteenth century further accelerated its global reach and influence.

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With roots that predate the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Inabel weaving is an indigenous art form that originates in the northern provinces. The word inabel —in the Ilocano language— means “woven.” It generally refers to the regional textile practice which employs the use of a hardwood loom and weaving techniques passed down from generation to generation.

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Even before the arrival of Europeans to Northern Luzon in the sixteenth century, textile development in the Philippine archipelago thrived alongside the bustling trade routes which linked East and Southeast Asia. Ilocanos often bartered cotton for gold, and their ancient epic, “Biag ni Lam-Ang,” talks about the use of special cloth as a mark of social refinement.

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The water buffalo is a creature intimately linked to the history and culture of human civilization. Bred and domesticated across Asia for centuries, they have long been employed as domestic farm animals— plowing fields, pulling heavy loads, and serving as a means of transportation. They provide a nourishing source of meat and dairy in cuisines worldwide, and their horns are often used for making household items, jewelry, and art. As a sign of respect to the water buffalo, no part of the body is wasted.

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