CIRCA: 1930’s
A very unusual small Tibetan carpet – whose non traditional design can only be described as ‘art-deco’ – which may have been used as a seating carpet, or for some other undetermined use. It may even have been a ‘special order’ possibly for, or on behalf of, a ‘foreigner’ living elsewhere, for instance in India or one of the coastal cities of China, although that is simply speculation. Or the design may have been ‘imported’ as a ‘one-off’ having been seen elsewhere by a travelling Tibetan. The greyish-white background is undyed wool, while the blues (there are two, a dark and a light) and red appear to be natural – the blues certainly so – although the red has migrated ever-so-slightly in parts, possibly from the dye not having been ‘fixed’ properly when the wool was first dyed, and then having either been incorrectly washed or having become wet at some time in its life. Be that as it may, it remains an attractive and very unusual piece!