Tibetan saddle rug

An elegant and quite regal saddle rug from Tibet. The sparse nature of the patterning with the ‘frog’s foot’ pattern in white on a fully saturated dark blue ground is quite striking. The dyes used in the central panel are striking as well, including a rare blue green shade (with abrash or color change as well) framed by a lighter pink and dark red hues. The border, a variant of the meandering T (or Greek key) design type is thought to be older than the standard drawing more commonly seen. Though not without signs of some use (wear to the cloth binding the edges as well as the holes through which the straps would be inserted and wrapped around the belly of the horse), the condition is startlingly good. As elegant as it appears to our eyes, the weavers themselves, too, must have appreciated what they had made and it appears it was never abused but probably reserved for ceremonial use.