Tibetan Rugs
Tibetan carpet design is strongly based on symbols from the Buddhist religion; however carpets were used in everyday life and not just for religious practice. The designs do not show religious scenes, but the meaning of the symbols on the Tibetan rugs derives from Buddhist thought.
Tibetan Carpets
Tibetan rugs have influences from China and East Turkestan rugs, although unlike these regions the colours are strong and contrasting. They have shades of red, blue, yellow, and occasionally green.
Common designs include lotus flowers, dragons, swastikas, birds holding flowers, and mountain and wave borders. Swastikas were traditionally a religious symbol, depicting good fortune in the Buddhist tradition. Dragons represented power and strength. Pink lotus flowers show beauty and purity.
History
Tibetan carpet making can be traced back to the 14th Century, but Buddhist monastery expansion in Tibet in the 16th to 19th centuries led to an expansion of carpet design. Monasteries in Tibet were not only religious centres, but centres of culture and economics.
Carpets in Tibet were traditionally created for sleeping and sitting, so were fairly small. In contrast, large Tibetan carpets in monasteries were used to decorate the long aisles.
Tibetan Wool Rugs
Often being made of wool, Tibetan rugs tend to be strong and durable, and this is due to the climate of Tibet. Tibet is located on a high plateau, and rugs needed to be able to survive the harsh conditions. The wool used in the carpets is strong and flexible.
Tibet is also famous for its saddle carpets which were used on horses, which were usually created in two pieces. One piece was put between the saddle and the horse, the other between the saddle and the rider. They usually had a strong, red border.
Nepalese Rugs
The Chinese invasion of Tibet forced many people to flee to Nepal, and these refugees create rugs from Nepal for commercial purposes. Before this time, there was little trade of Tibetan rugs, and most rugs were made for personal use. Today, rugs are now made much larger and much of the influence of traditional Tibetan carpet making has disappeared.
Tibetan Knot
Tibetan rugs have a unique form of knotting different from the Persian and Turkish knot. This knot was probably originally used in other cultures, but is restricted to Tibet and Nepal today.
The Tibetan knot is a much slower form of knotting than the Persian knot, and is created using a temporary rod. The rod is placed in front of the warp, along the width of the rug. The thread is placed around two warp threads, and wound around the rod. This continues for an entire row of the rug, and the yarn is then cut from the rod.
Natural Dyes
The dyeing of Tibetan rugs is not as consistent compared to carpets from other cultures, as there were no specific producers of dye and instead the carpet weavers created it themselves. The colour of the dye can be inconsistent throughout the carpet. It is quite uncommon to see a Tibetan rug made of entirely natural dyes, as chemical dyes were introduced around 1885.