Chi Siamo

Our story is, first and foremost, a story of people because there are no traditions, techniques, and knowledge without the people who bring them to life.

The hands, even before they are in the fingers, are in the mind of those who move them.

But it’s also a story of artisan women who refuse to see this profession die and who resist despite everything. The Textile Cooperative SU MARMURI was founded in Ulassai in 1971 with the aim of preserving the ancient textile tradition of the town. To this day, it remains the oldest all-female company in Sardinia.

The artifacts are entirely handcrafted on horizontal manual looms using the ‘PIBIONIS‘ technique (grape clusters), a typical and almost exclusive weaving technique of Sardinia, known for its distinctive raised effect. Only natural raw materials are used, including local sheep’s wool, linen, cotton, hemp, and silk.

The production range is quite diverse, always crafted in unique pieces or very small series, and includes carpets, tapestries, bedspreads, curtains, tablecloths, cushions, table runners, towels, and, in general, everything related to textile home furnishings.

A portion of our creations is characterized by the reimagining of decorative motifs from the extensive repertoire of Sardinian textile tradition. Over the years, however, through intensive research and experimentation, new collections have been introduced, featuring designs developed through in-house projects or in collaboration with prominent artists, with the belief that tradition and innovation can be the winning combination for contemporary artistic craftsmanship.

In 1981, the collaboration with Maria Lai, an internationally renowned artist born and deeply connected to Ulassai, began. We use the term ‘collaboration,’ not to diminish the role of the Artist, but because it was indeed an authentic collaboration, a joint effort where we became a bit more like artists, and she a bit more like an artisan.

This collaboration gave birth to a design collection where the forms and techniques of tradition resulted in furnishings at the intersection of art, craftsmanship, and design. Many consider our experience a success story, but for us, it is simply a story of resilience and values.

After over 50 years, we are still here, and we are proud to have succeeded as women in our land, preserving and enhancing the ancient knowledge of our culture. We are aware of being bearers of a very rare ‘know-how’ that we have a duty to pass on to future generations.