Tibetan Rugs

Looking at the dramatic, mountainous and awe-inspiring landscape of Tibet one may easily forget its painful past and the toll it took upon its people. Nevertheless, this deeply spiritual region is the place where the craft of weaving Tibetan rugs has flourished for centuries, bringing to the world stunning art pieces desired by travellers and collectors alike. Oriental Tibetan carpets have a long an profound history which stretches back hundreds if not thousands of years.

Truth be told, Tibetan rug weaving started off as a lowly craft which was not mentioned in early writings, aside from occasional references to the rugs owned by prominent religious figures. Some notions of original Tibetan rugs sold to the western countries began appearing in the 1880’s. However, it wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th century that the first detailed accounts of Tibetan rug weaving came from foreigners who entered Tibet with the British Invasion and described a workshop they encountered near Gyantse, en route to Lhasa.