Kauna Grass Weaving
Kauna grass weaving turns a soft wetland reed into surfaces that are cushioned to the touch yet durable in daily use.
Kauna Grass Weaving at a glance
- Origin
- Assam, India
- Primary Material
- Kauna Grass
- Craft Type
- Hand Braiding & Weaving
- Heritage
- Wetland Household Practice
What makes this craft extraordinary.
Fibre Preparation
The reed must be dried to an exact point — too damp and it shrinks, too dry and it splits underhand.
Even Braiding
Cords are braided to a constant thickness so the finished surface reads as one continuous plane.
Natural Finish
No coating is used. The faint sheen comes from the fibre itself, drawn out by handling alone.
Shaped slowly,
by hand.
Harvested from Assam's wetlands, the stems are sun-dried until they hold their form, then twisted and woven in tight rows. The craft rewards rhythm above speed — an even hand produces an even surface.
The finished weave carries a natural warmth and a faint sheen that no coating can imitate.
From material
to finished form.
- 01
Harvesting
Stems are cut from wetland beds at full maturity.
- 02
Drying
Slow sun-drying sets the fibre and fixes its pale tone.
- 03
Twisting
Stems are twisted into consistent, workable cords.
- 04
Weaving
Cords are woven in tight rows for a soft, resilient surface.
What requires
the most skill.
- Fibre Preparation
- Grading and drying stems so every cord behaves identically in the weave.
- Even Braiding
- Maintaining a constant twist so the cord never thickens or thins mid-length.
- Tension Control
- Holding rows tight enough to hold shape, loose enough to stay cushioned.
- Surface Finishing
- Trimming and pressing the weave so the surface sits perfectly flat.
Assam
Kauna grows only in still wetland water, and the households that weave it live alongside those beds. Harvest, drying and weaving all happen within walking distance of where the reed is cut.
Explore AssamThe pieces these hands make.
Pieces made with this craft are currently being finished. Explore the wider collection while new work is prepared.
A wetland craft with a contemporary place.
Kauna weaving has long been a household craft, practised between seasons and taught without instruction. Its future depends on there being work worth doing — steady orders, fair terms and designs that belong in modern homes.
By making kauna part of a contemporary collection, the technique keeps earning its place rather than surviving as a memory.
The story doesn’t end here.
Explore Materials
Bamboo, cane and kauna grass — where each material comes from and how it behaves.
Explore MaterialsExplore Assam
Assam's river valleys, and the households where these traditions have been kept alive.
Explore AssamBrowse Collections
Lighting, living and décor — the finished pieces shaped by these hands.
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