TIBET, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Tibetan rugs were made for a variety of purposes and very few were intended to be used on the floor. The size of this example indicates that it was woven as a sleeping or bed rug known as a khaden. Tibetan flocks of sheep, goats and yaks live at a high altitude in a cold climate, creating a wool that is very lustrous and sturdy, ideal for both dyes and weaving. The uncluttered luminous green ground on this example is unusual but the endless knot motifs and meandering-T border are more typical.