tai ping callidus guild collection weaves ancient craft into rugs

The natural world in Tai Ping Callidus Guild Collection

The Tai Ping Callidus Guild Collection weaves together vibrant hues, plush fibers, and a commitment to preserving the tradition of Tibetan hand-knotted rug making. The collection’s dance of natural motifs, geometric patterns, and opulent materials breathes life into carpets with a distinctly profound connection to the natural world, crafted with expertise by Nepalese artisans. Yolande Milan Batteau, Callidus Guild’s principal artists, leads this collaboration by introducing over a dozen captivating carpets to the artisanal manufacturer’s portfolio.

hand-knotted by by Nepalese artisans, Tai Ping’s Callidus Guild Collection of carpets is a dance of natural motifs, geometric patterns, and opulent materials

all images courtesy of Tai Ping

Since its establishment in 1956, Hong Kong-based rug manufacturer, Tai Ping, has become recognized for its adventurous approach to crafting custom handmade and woven carpets. The partnership with Callidus Guild came about naturally: Batteau’s decorative arts studio in Brooklyn, which rose to prominence with its original wallcoverings, works with ancient techniques, reinterpreting and modernizing them to achieve eclectic interior finishings. This shared appreciation of traditional craftsmanship and bold design finds vibrant expression in this distinctive collection.

Hong Kong-based manufacturer, Tai Ping, has become recognized for its adventurous approach to crafting custom handmade and woven carpets

Traditional craftsmanship and organic patterns

The synergy between Tai Ping and Callidus Guild began when Batteau came across their rugs and was impressed by their striking colors and design. The collaboration’s eighteen carpets – a collection of six compositional designs and four small-scale patterns in multiple colorways – is a manifestation of their shared experiences with artisanal craft and design. This is shown prominently in ‘Lineage,’ which renders tactile Callidus Guild’s signature design. Its series of organic lines, stacked on top of each other to resemble a stratified rock formation, was discovered by Batteau when applying the Japanese urushi to plaster.

the collaboration’s eighteen carpets is a collection of six compositional designs and four small-scale patterns in multiple colorways

The three other patterns find energy in traditional techniques and materials. ‘Akoya’ captures the iridescence of thinly sliced Abelonian mother of pearl. Against a restrained background, the delicate waves of the texture pop from the surface. The ‘Permia’ and ‘Seeded’ designs similarly pay homage to the nature by mimicking ancient woodcuts made with skeletal persimmon stencils. The contrasting colors of the fibers, played alongside each other by repeating organic shapes, create a floor covering that adds a striking, yet subtle, sense of dimensionality to a space

the refined materials in these rugs consist primarily of wool and silk, complemented by touches of linen, mohair, and metallic lurex

Batteua’s process from wallcoverings to carpets

Although Batteua typically works in the design and creation of wallcoverings, the immersive process she embarks on to create patterns and styles flows elegantly into the rug making process. In designing these works for Tai Ping, Callidus Guild granted the brand access to their library and shared with them their wealth of expertise in surface design. By working with fiber, her iconic patterning finds home in a once unexplored medium for the studio.

Callidus Guild granted Tai Ping access to their library and shared with them their wealth of expertise in surface design

Enhancing the opulent designs are the refined materials employed in crafting these rugs – primarily wool and silk, complemented by touches of linen, mohair, and metallic lurex. Using different pile heights in designs like ‘Raschel’, the carpets are able to achieve an additional sense of depth. Beyond their hand-knotted production, the carpets achieve nuanced tones through a three-step tie-dying process.

the brand creates artistic rugs that capture the unique qualities of nature and fibers while maintaining a sustainable relationship with a time-honored craft

In upholding quality across the board, Tai Ping takes pride in its certification as a Label STEP Fair Trade Partner. This commitment ensures equitable wages and working conditions for those contributing to the rug manufacturing process. From sourcing to production to design, the brand creates artistic rugs that capture the unique qualities of nature and fibers while maintaining a sustainable relationship with a time-honored craft.