CIRCA: 1920’s
A rare and unique pile-less flat-woven seating square woven in a very interesting and unusual knotting style, being either rural or nomadic work with primarily natural dyes, and un-dyed lustrous wool. The center square features a green double dorje over-stitched onto the bright red field, which may indicate that it was given as a gift to, or for use by a person of higher, or even monastic, status. The narrow red woven outer strip resembles the red covered felt border seen on many Tibetan carpets, and the main outer border is sometimes referred to a ‘running dog’ design, while the inner border is meant to depict pearls. All in all a very unique flat-woven piece with wool being used for its entire construction, and a weaving technique seldom employed (in Tibetan weaving’s) and even less seldom seen in the market place. It is in excellent condition as it appears to have been seldom used itself (as was common with many gifts to monastic personages or officials).
A broadly similar but much more elaborate example of a flat weave of this nature can be found on page 168, in the book Of Wool And Loom by Trinley Chodrack and Kesang Tashi.