CIRCA: 1900
A Tibetan tantric rug* depicting a grinning skeletal form and alternating grinning skulls and scowling disembodied heads around the perimeter. The colours employed (six) – including a white and brown that appear to be the natural undyed colour of the sheep’s wool as shorn – appear to be all natural, both the warp and weft (and pile) are of a very fine hand spun wool (see circular close-up photo of just a few pile knots on backside), the size is 140cm x 76cm and it was made circa 1900, or possibly before (and certainly not later than the early 1900’s). Except for some stabilised fraying at either end and low pile in parts, it is in very good condition with no repairs or reweaves and has excellent provenience as was originally bought in the early 1970’s in Kathmandu, Nepal, and has been in the one owners hands ever since and is therefore guaranteed not to be a modern copy (as many purported ‘antique’ carpets of this type often now are). Both ends have a backing strip, which was sewn on to stabilise the ends from fraying further, and also allow for threading a rod through same to allow its wall hanging, which is how it has been featured when displayed since its 70’s purchase. As these genuinely old skeletal tantric rugs are rare, especially in good condition, they are seldom found in private collections, hence this is a unique opportunity for a serious collector to acquire an unquestionable authentic antique piece.
*Tibetan tantric rugs are the seats of power generally employed by practitioners of esoteric Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. These rugs typically depict a flayed skin of an animal** or human, or in some instances as seen here, a full body skeleton surrounded by – in this instance – grinning and scowling human skulls. This skeletal form should not be confused with another skeletal Buddhist deity Chitapati, portrayed as one male and one female skeleton, dancing wildly with their limbs intertwined. The imagery of a skeleton or flayed skin of an animal or human is a very potent symbol and to those unfamiliar with such rugs, they often appear at first to be frightening or menacing, but upon a closer look, and putting ones prejudices aside, this old piece, even to the layman, emanates a friendly non threatening ‘vibe’ with its grinning skulls seemingly overwhelming the scowling disembodied heads.
**In India, some sadhus, or wandering Hindu holy men, meditated and preached while seated on a flayed tiger skin rug rug – which were made in Tibet to depict actual tiger skins – and which were used in related circumstances for ‘similar’ rituals as those used in Buddhism.