The joyful menagerie of animals and plants featured here references creatures both real and imagined encountered by the Pakistani artisan who made the original felted and embroidered wool rug. Known as Namda, these felted rugs made in the Kashmir region of northern India, a region known for its rich textile heritage, served as saddle blankets or raincapes. The maker of the original Museum textile wanted to describe the multitude of two and four-legged creatures one might encounter on an adventure where a saddle or raincape might be needed. Dwellers is inspired by a textile in the collections of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.