The Barn is part of the Dune Collection -  textiles from Gujarat's semi-arid grasslands, where Patanwadi sheep graze at 100–500 metres in heat, drought, and scarcity. The wool comes from these sheep that graze in arid, sun-bleached terrain. This is a fibre shaped by hardship, and it shows in how it performs. It is coarse in the best sense: dense, hard-wearing, and naturally undyed. The dark and cream tones in this rug are the natural colours of the fleece. 

Weaving face-down on a nomadic loom, the weaver works from the back, checking the pattern’s progress in a mirror placed beneath the loom. A technique developed by nomadic communities whose looms could be set up, taken down, and carried across the desert. The father and son who brought this to life are one of the last two families practicing this technique, which is native and unique to the region of northern Gujarat.

The pattern is a quiet nod to the barns that dot the landscape of Guelph, Ontario, where TAIC’s design studio is based.

Terrain Notes:

• Origin: Patanwadi sheep wool, Kutch, Gujarat
• Altitute: 100-500m above sea level
• Climate: Arid, drought-prone grasslands
• Fibre: Hardy resilient local dye0free natural wool 
• Technique: Continuous wrapped and knotted wefts, flatwoven face-down using a mirror placed under the nomadic loom 
  
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Specifications:

• Patanwadi sheep wool body, cotton fringe
• Natural ivory and dark brown/charcoal (undyed)
• Expect natural colour variation; each piece is unique
• Made to order · 1 month lead time