CIRCA: 1900’s, first half
A flat woven ‘pile-less’ Tibetan trapezoidal blanket – known as a ‘takheb’ – of nomadic origin that was used to cover either a horse or yak. It has been constructed by stitching five strips of narrow, fairly heavily woven, plain nambu-type cloth horizontally together (see one such join in upper right photo) and then adding the design, after which it has been backed with a woolen felt-like substance which itself probably had a protective cloth cover / backing at some stage. The outer border design is of a ‘gau box’ or amulet / talisman-like repeating pattern, while the main field features four zoomorphic figures.* All the designs, both border and figures, are of dark brown animal hair, save for one figure which is light brown hair. Both warp and weft are hand spun; the warp consists of a mix of wool and animal hair, while the weft is primarily wool with some animal hair interwoven. It was woven sometime in the first half of the 1900’s and the size is 92cm high by 144cm at its widest point. Other than some fraying on the upper left edge (where a ‘tie-down’ strap has chafed) there are no holes or repairs and the wool used in its construction is of a fine quality.
*It is worth noting here that a point of some debate began soon after similar zoomorphic figured blankets first appeared (in Kathmandu in the 1980’s) – and which purportedly come from the Kailash region of Tibet – regarding whether the central figures may have been / were added at a later date than the blankets actual construction so as to ‘enhance’ an otherwise plain center field, although this suggestion appears to be as much speculation as proven fact with regards to all blankets of this type. Be that as it may, whether or not the central figures were added ‘post post-weave’, it is an unusual blanket in its own right with a definite nomadic origin and the ‘gau box like’ border pattern being quite attractive. (A similar example of a zoomorphic takheb, but apparently more contemporary, can be seen published on page 270, plate 186, in the superb book on Tibetan carpets entitled Sacred and Secular by Robert Piccus.)