Urdo Phone Strap in Hand-Braided Wool · CHARU × Thathaly

Phone strap in wool, hand-wrapped in sections of beige and warm brown, which turns into a dark brown and white herringbone braid at the ends. An oval woven centrepiece of about 13.5 cm with a check pattern in dark brown and natural white rests on the shoulder; a small stamped metal tag hangs at the end.

It is modelled on the urdo, the braided sling of Tibetan nomads: herders use it to guide their animals by throwing stones near them. The oval centrepiece corresponds to the cradle that holds the stone.

The snap hook clips onto a thin, transparent tab that sits between the phone and its case, so the phone can be worn across the body or around the neck. As each piece is made by hand, the length may vary by a few centimetres.

Thathaly is a label of women from Yulshül in Kham, in the east of the Tibetan plateau, close to the source region of the Drichu, Dzachu and Machu rivers. Its aim is to preserve Tibetan craft and to enable the women to earn a living in their rural homeland. The cords are wound and braided by hand by local women.

CHARU connects designers with craft cooperatives in the Tibetan cultural sphere, developing products that bring traditional techniques into everyday life.

Length approx. 128 cm excluding hardware · Centrepiece approx. 13.5 cm · Outer 100% wool, core 80% wool, 20% nylon · Metal snap hook · Hand-braided in Yulshül, Kham