CIRCA: 1900
Luxuriant Inner Mongolian under saddle carpet made with thick velvety wool. The center field consists of a main floral roundel and branched flowering blossoms, while the four saddle girth strap holes have been edged in leather. The main border is interspersed with so-called ‘happiness circles’, the main secondary border is of the T meander, while the narrow inner border is of pearls, coloured red in a striking deviation from the norm (white). Made circa 1900, it has excellent colours, the pile is thick and shiny, the warp and weft are of cotton and the size is 142cm x 68cm. It is backed with a blue cotton cloth (one end of which has been unpicked), and there are no repairs or reweaves. This carpet was originally collected in Kathmandu ex-Tibet in the early 1970’s and is a first-class example of an Inner Mongolian saddle carpet in excellent condition.