In Mongolian Shamanism and Buddhism, animals are amitan — beings with souls. Wolves, deer, eagles and reindeer all reincarnate, just as humans do. Some house the spirits of ancestors, teachers and shamans. Woven from wool, then felted, Amitan is a lyrical interpretation of a centuries-old, resist-dyed felt rug. Ancient Chinese and Mongolian artists decorated felt rugs with entwined animals — symbols of the sacred connection between all beings.