Silk Yarkand long rug

Until fairly recently, weaving traditions from the desert oasis towns of Eastern Turkestan, now part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, were little understood in the West. Today they are experiencing quite a vogue with collectors and decorators alike. This piece woven in glimmering silk is nothing short of a masterpiece. The pomegranate field is exceptionally drawn. Two sets of paired trees originating from the top and the bottom meet in the center mitigating a strict directional layout. The border systems are simple and arguably sublime. Rarely does one encounter an East Turkestan weaving of this age and magnitude, let alone in such exceptional condition.