{"product_id":"handwoven-tea-mat-table-runner-shui-cotton","title":"Handwoven Shui Tea Mat \/ Table Runner (Plant-Dyed Cotton Textile)","description":"\u003ch1 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHandwoven Shui Tea Mat \/ Table Runner (Plant-Dyed Cotton Textile)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA handwoven tea mat and table runner textile from the Shui people of Guizhou, made from plant-dyed cotton through generations of weaving tradition. Each piece carries the quiet rhythm of plant, hand, and time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis textile, like a living scripture, carries a way of life that has remained largely unchanged.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmong the Shui (Water) people and many other indigenous groups in Guizhou, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethis handwoven tea mat and table runner textile\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e carries a living quality: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eit is grown, prepared, and guided through a full cycle of life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Shui women have long carried this responsibility, undertaking every step from planting cotton to making cloth, and are deeply valued for their strength and endurance. They are among the few who still preserve a complete textile tradition \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e— \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003enot separated as “craft” or “art,”but \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eone that remains part of daily life,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e sustained by the steady hands and memory of women across generations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe textile here follows such generational knowledge: Cotton is planted, picked, loosened, and spun into thread. The fibres are strengthened with plant starch, then carefully arranged on the loom before a single line is woven. The subtle diamond pattern emerges through this rhythm, line by line, as the shuttle passes back and forth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor the Shui people, the diamond pattern is seen as the “eye of the ancestors”, which watches over and protects, offering blessings to the continuity between those who came before and those who come after.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe colour carries the depth of plant-dyeing traditions, where natural pigments are extracted, fermented, and layered over time. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn some techniques, soybean paste is used as a resist, allowing patterns to appear through absence rather than addition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEach cloth is woven and finished entirely by hand. Slight variations in tone, width, and texture are not imperfections, but traces of the process itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis cloth can sit beneath your teaware, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esoftening the sound of each placement and holding the warmth of every pour.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e It can rest across a table, a desk, or the edge of a bed, or be placed over a sofa, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshaped into a cushion, or framed quietly on a wall.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Over time, the cloth will soften, respond to light and use, and begin to hold traces of your own rhythm alongside those it already carries.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs the diamond pattern sits quietly within each meter of the fabric, may it bring a sense of watchfulness and care to your home. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDetails\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCraft: Traditional Shui hand-weaving\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMaterial: Handwoven cotton\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eDye: Plant-dyed (indigo-based traditions)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-end=\"609\" data-start=\"526\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLength: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis cloth is \u003cstrong\u003eoffered by the metre\u003c\/strong\u003e. You are welcome to choose a length that fits your table, tea space, or home.\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuantity “1” = 1 metre\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eMultiple units will be sent as one continuous length\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWidth: 38–43 cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOrigin: Guizhou, China\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTea mat or table runner for Gong Fu Cha or tea rituals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProtective layer for teaware\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlant-dyed, beyond-organic cotton friendly for daily use\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp role=\"presentation\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTextile accent for the home (bedding, wall, tray, or cushion)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grass People Tree","offers":[{"title":"Indigo (Medium-weight. Width: 38–43 cm)","offer_id":43425952563259,"sku":"TEA-CLOTH-SHUI-04","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Evening Blue (Medium-weight. Width: 38–43 cm)","offer_id":43425952596027,"sku":"TEA-CLOTH-SHUI-05","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Earthy Brown (Heavier-weight. Width: 38–43 cm)","offer_id":43425952628795,"sku":"TEA-CLOTH-SHUI-06","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Rainbow (Medium-weight. Width: 39-41cm)","offer_id":43425952661563,"sku":"TEA-CLOTH-SHUI-07","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0253\/3887\/1853\/files\/O1CN0114ovzh1vPcrlA5vMS__846246165.jpg?v=1779703581","url":"https:\/\/www.grasspeopletree.com\/products\/handwoven-tea-mat-table-runner-shui-cotton","provider":"Grass People Tree","version":"1.0","type":"link"}