At the heart of Japanese craftsmanship lies a long tradition in which nameless makers have quietly infused everyday objects with beauty. Loop of the Loom is proud to present an exhibition of hand-knotted works by members of Ako Gabbeh—a collective of weavers who carry this tradition forward, transforming the humble chair rug into a canvas for storytelling.

Rooted in Silk Road traditions, Akō Dantsu—a distinguished Japanese rug—was once woven by Japanese craftswomen using locally grown cotton and natural indigo. Ako Gabbeh reimagined it as a contemporary chair rug—bringing generations of refined technique and spirit into the present.

For this exhibition, we welcome members of Ako Gabbeh from Japan, who will showcase more than 15 works. The exhibition also features the "Mountain" series by Noriko Yamanaka (Arts & Crafts Village), who will serve as a workshop instructor, as well as highly skilled Dantsu (traditional Japanese rug) by Rie Sakagami.

Though still little known in the US, hand-knotting is a living art form that bridges everyday life and art—and with this month-long exhibition, we bring it to new audiences.

Gabbeh chair rugs are woven using the **Persian knot** technique, in which colored yarns are tied onto the warp threads and secured with the weft threads. After each knot is carefully formed, the pile is trimmed to an even height using traditional Japanese scissors—the same type of scissors used in the finishing process of Ako Dantsu.

The colored yarns are made from bundles of No. 10 cotton yarns combined into a thicker base yarn. These base yarns are prepared in various ways: they may be custom-dyed at professional dye houses, indigo-dyed in skein form at specialized indigo studios, or naturally dyed with plant materials by the weavers themselves.