Tibetan rug

Rugs of this type, with only two colors, appear to date to the late 19th century and possibly coming out of a specific workshop as commissioned weavings. No matter the design, they invariably portray bold graphic patterns, which, for the most part, are extremely pleasing. The two flower forms from which tendrils with leaves as well as bold ‘rams horn’ type motifs to the left and right are all given ample space to ‘breathe’ on the surface of the rug, a visual delight. The reciprocal patterns in the cream color of the field located within the blue flower forms is quite graphic, recalling an aesthetic foreign to the design pool familiar to collectors of Tibetan material. One could easily imagine encountering this snow flake like pattern on Central Asian rugs, be it reduced in size to a border motif or floating on the field as a tertiary pattern. The ‘rams horn’ like devices, too, are reminiscent of a Central Asian aesthetic. The striated manner in which the indigo blue has been applied to the wool adds character to the design and this is a superlative example of a known but little discussed type among the varieties known to have emerged from Tibet over the years.