Fine, thick Tibetan Carpet hand-crafted in Nepal.  Floral pattern in teal on royal blue background.  100% wool.  3' x 5.5'.  Brand new. 

Since the first mention in written history of the warrior horsemen of Tibet, life on the Himalayan plateau has continued as it was for centuries. Rugs developed as a domestic craft - they were necessary and easily portable equipment. Horseman rode on wooden saddles cushioned by rugs. Families went on pilgrimages taking their rugs as sleeping mats. Week-long picnics were organized and rugs laid around colorfully embroidered tents to serve as furniture. In their monasteries, lamas and monks sat upon rugs in rows during meditation and prayer. Used by aristocrat and commoner alike, rugs were cushion, sleeping mat, insulation against winter drafts and decoration.

Today the Tibetan rug craft not only survives, but thrives in displaced Tibetan communities - especially within those living in Nepal. Still woven are rugs whose designs and symbols date far back into their cultural history. Although most of the production today has now been suited to modern markets and has been subjected to western cultural influences.

Tibetan rugs are cherished by lovers of the beautiful, their colors warm the spirit and designs speak to the universal yearning for truth and beauty. One must own a Tibetan rug to fully realize its intricacies of design and know the pleasure of possessing a fine, totally handmade work of art.

A Tibetan Rug is woven in the 'Shena loop', a knot seen nowhere else in modern Asia. Curiously this knot was unearthed by archeologists in textiles dating from the 5th century in Egypt and Turkistan, and survives today in the Scandinavian 'Rya' rug - a connection not yet understood.

A Tibetan rug averages 60 knots per square inch. However, today most rugs are woven in higher knot densities like 100 knots and even 150 knots per square inch.

A good Tibetan rug has its knots tightly woven, straight, without ridges and where the work of two or more weavers seamlessly joins together without notice. The pile should be smooth and heavy an no wrap strands should be visible. The edges should be carefully bound.

Owned and operated by third generation Tibetan refugees, Khaden brings with its products a history of an exiled people, and in particular a story of a refugee family fleeing persecution from communist China.

Starting out in 1962 as weavers, members of the family have since been involved in the rug trade as small shopkeepers retailing to tourists newly discovering the aesthetics and charm of Tibetan rugs.

Followed by small scale production at home where a couple of looms provided a means of livelihood that eventually led to the setting up of a dedicated weaving complex where raw wool is brought in and leaves as completely finished hand-knotted rugs.

A new chapter was started in 2002 with the establishment of 'Khaden Inc.' Based in Portland-OR, we retail directly through our store in the Pacific Northwest.

www.khadencarpets.com