FABRIC: SHEEP WOOL
Regions: Mongolia
Fabric Name:
Sheep Wool
Origin:
Altai Argali, aka Marco Polo sheep
Who made our fabric:
Unknown from Mongolia
Natural history and ecology:
The majority of Mongolian sheep produce a thick, resilient fiber which is excellent for carpets. The extremely harsh, cold environment produces a dense, resilient, and uncommonly soft fiber that is ideal for carpets. Mongolian sheep are well adapted to their harsh environment, and able to find food for grazing year-round.
What makes this so special:
Mongolia’s endless steppes are the habitat of over over 70 million animals, which include their five jewels: yak, Bactrian camel, sheep, goat, and horse. More than 45% of these animals are sheep, which are used for meat, milk, lambskin, and textiles. They are very important livestock for the nomadic herder families, providing the main share of the needed meat as well as wool which is worked into felt covers for their gers (yurts).
