Tibetan Carpets

As the name suggests, Tibetan carpets are carpets manufactured in Tibet. Tibetan carpets and Tibetan Rugs apart from being manufactured in Tibet are also manufactured by the Tibetan refugees living in Nepal. Tibetan carpet manufactured in Nepal mainly consist of modern and western patterns in pastel colors. These carpets are labelled "Tibetan" to distinguish them from the countries different production areas.

Tibetan carpets have existed for thousands of years but have got an international recognition only now, that too by the efforts of certain NGOs. The patterns and sizes of Tibetan rugs are so versatile that they are as suitable for floor covering as for wall hangings or accent rugs, or for runners and throws.

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The carpets are also manufactured in the manufacturing units owned by the government in Lhasa. These carpets are exported through Beijing and these carpets are labelled as "Lhasas".

Designs
The carpets are unique in their structure and design and even have developed separately from the traditional Persian carpets. The designs are influenced by the Tibetan tribal culture, Buddhism and Chinese culture to an extent. The designs are simple yet beautiful, complementing the contemporary scenario. Tibetan carpets also have lots of similarities with the Chinese patterns. Tibetan carpets are often small as they are mainly meant to be used in the homes and in the temples.


Types of Tibetan Carpets
On the basis of designs and patterns, we can categorize Tibetan rugs and carpets as follows:
Medallion carpet
In the medallion carpets there are three centerpiece medallions having multiple borders. Medallions commonly used are the square shapes surrounded with leaves and flowers, the round medallions with flowers inside, the flower medallions which are almost always lotus or peony, and the animals such as the Manchurian crane, snow-lion, dragons encapsulated in a a round medallion.

Floral All-over Carpets
The floral design Tibetan carpets consist of 2 or 3 large flowers similar to a multi-medallion, or many large flowers in an all-over layout. Flowers mainly used are lotus, the peony, and the chrysanthemum. Floral all over patterns are usually without borders in an endless repeat.

Mythological Design carpets
Mythological design carpets consist of mythological animal and bird including the dragon, the phoenix, the white Manchurian crane, the bat and the bee. These mythological creatures are either represented in the medallion or in an all-over layout.

Geometric Panelled All-over Design
The geometric designs are less common and usually comes in a panelled all-over layout with flat-looking flowers inside either square or diamond cells.

Monastery Carpets
Monastery carpets or Monastery Rugs are usually small and are used for various ceremonial and ritual purposes. The colors used on these types of carpets are orange or red. One typical example of Monastery rugs is the tiger rug which is used by high-ranking monks as a seat.

Colors
Tibetan carpets are available in vivid colors, and relatively plain and dominant backgrounds. The colors used in th background are usually blue, black, red, orange, and less frequently yellow or ivory. The colors in which the motifs are colored are woven in red, orange, pink, yellow, beige, blue, green and white.

Weaving Style
Tibetan carpets are manufactured using the so-called Sehna knot. Wool is used for making the warp, weft and pile. The wool are spunned and dyed in small batches by hand. This process is called as "pot-dyeing." The pile is dyed with pigments from plants and minerals found in Tibet, except indigo and lacquer that is imported from India and Bhutan.

Wool is obtained from sheep living high on high Tibetan plateau. Wool contains high amount of lanolin and long fibers which creates exceptional wool that is soft and silky yet stain resistant and durable.

Tibetan Carpets are hand knotted and are woven using one knot at a time. The finest of the carpet has 100 knots per square inch. Weavers tie each knot into a double knot around a cotton backing. This process is repeated continuously for creating the entire carpet. Each knot constructs a small tuft of color which adds to the overall design. Large carpets contain over one million knots. The hand-knotting technique produces a carpet of unmatchable quality and beauty beyond imagination.

Weaving Loom
Tibetan weavers use horizontal traditional loom for carpet weaving. It is a vertical broadloom that is set upright against a wall with the weaver seated on the floor. Weaving starts from the bottom. This type of loom is used in Tibet for making the best carpets in the central U and Tsang region. Horizontal traditional loom is used mostly by Tibetan refugees in India, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan.

About Tibet
Tibet is situated on the Plateau region and inhabitates Tibetan people. Tibet was annexed by China in 1959 and since then it has been the part of China. The language spoken here is Tibetan. The population of Tibet is mixed one and consists of ethnic Tibetans. Other ethnic groups in Tibet are Menba (Monpa), Lhoba, Mongols and Hui Chinese. Tibetan people follow Buddhist religion. Sizable number of population also follow Islam. Tibet is full of Buddhist monasteries. Some of the important being Ani Tsankhung Nunnery, Changzhu Temple, Dorje Drak, Drepung Monastery, Drigung Monastery, Dzogchen Monastery and many more. Tibet is also known for its cuisine, music and art.