CIRCA: 1970 / 1970’s
A colourful tsuktruk type carpet of three joined panels made in the Dolpo region – which is north of the Himalayas bordering on Tibet – in far western Nepal*. These blanket-like rugs are not as thickly woven as Tibetan khadens, and use a completely different technique for their construction. That is, they are first made as narrow individual strips – each woven in the ‘planted-pile-technique’ – and then the strips, in this case three, are sewn together to make the final piece. They are usually soft and subtle, as is this one, and were often used as blankets. Both the warp and weft are of undyed hand spun wool while the pile is mix of strong aniline dyes, some natural dyes and un-dyed wool. You either love it or hate it. We love it, as we like art for arts sake, not because of preconceived opinions of what a carpet should look like, etc. But each to their own of course. This is an authentic village woven tsuktruk carpet** from an ethnically Tibetan region of Nepal that very few carpets come from. It is in very good condition.
*Dolpo is a high-altitude culturally Tibetan region of far western Nepal bordered in the north by Tibet and where the majority of the people follow Buddhism as their primary religion. The area is steeped in Bon and Tibetan Buddhist traditions and there seems little doubt that the ancestors of the Dolpo-pa originated in Tibet, before coming south in search of better pastures. The remote region has preserved its Tibetan culture in relatively pure form, and is now a relatively popular destination for trekking tourism.
**See other (Tibetan) tsuktruks on this page https://warpandweft.club/portfolio-item/wangdens-tsuktruks/