CIRCA: mid 1800’s (probably 3rd qtr?)
This khagangma, or seating square, is an extraordinary example of Tibetan woven art. Stunningly beautiful, relatively large and in unaltered original condition, it has a central yundrung (swastika) motif and multiple borders all made with wonderfully saturated natural dyes. The inner four corner fret designs are of a fascinating and unique rare purple shade – not dye run from the surrounding red colour – which is also highly saturated, while the green used throughout is beautifully abrashed. The central green swastika, a symbol of power down though the millennia, is surrounded by a mandala-like circle of blue fret work, which upon closer inspection, is itself embedded in a burnt orange circle of wool, distinct from the red background. The outer border is the ‘simple T’ or ‘Greek T’ design in red embedded upon a magnificent, wonderfully abrashed, green. This piece would almost certainly have been used in a monastic setting on special occasions by a high lama for seating warmth while involved in ritual proceedings or for meditation purposes.
On the back side it has wide strips of nambu type cloth backing the outer part of the carpet to help anchor and stabalise the interweaving of the frilly fringe, a technique rarely seen. The warp and weft (and pile) is fine hand-spun wool – with the warp being mixed with animal hair – and the construction of the pile is made with the big loose knot associated with older Tibetan carpets. The combination of a multitude of saturated natural dye shades and their intricate use in the weaving process of this carpet has been managed with exceptional skill, to the point of it being simply a tour-de-force by a master dyer / weaver. Given the superb dye and construction quality and its original condition it is a unique opportunity for a collector to acquire a very high quality, genuine Tibetan masterpiece made sometime in the 1800’s. Overall it is excellent condition save for some of the ‘frilly’ edges being worn away from long term use.