Oriental Wool Rugs

Possibly not thought about as ‘Oriental’ Tibet has produced woven wool rugs since the 11th century. These were originally intended as sleeping mats for humble homes and also quite grand temples.

It is the curiosity about Tibetan culture which is worldwide, and that mystique of the high Himalayas which has created this demand for Tibetan rugs. You are going to find motifs of tigers and dragons appearing quite regularly.

China, although it does have its areas of rug weaving, does not produce hand woven rugs to the extent that many other countries do, Tibet being one of them.

Tibetan rugs are greatly sought after in China, but unfortunately there are a lot of copies made actually in China. The authentic Tibetan oriental wool rugs have quite a rich color pallete and apparently quite a unique weaving method.

Even experts have been misled into thinking that they are buying a genuine Tibetan rug woven for instance, in Lhasa, only to find that the rug was actually woven in Qinhai [China]. The rug being woven with an actual mixture of motifs, some from China, some from Tibet.

You need to know that Tibetan carpets are always going to be small in size, simply because their original use was as a sleeping mat. So, beware, if you are being shown [or sold] a rug as a genuine Tibetan wool rug which is, as an example perhaps 1.5 meters x 2 meters or something like that.

The best wool to be used for these rugs is from sheep that live high in the mountains. The reason for this is because not only does their wool coat grow long to keep them warm, the sheep produce extra lanolin also to keep them warm at the high altitudes.

This makes for a very soft but durable wool which is largely stain resistant.

It is actually a great pity that the antique rugs produced in China are not more valued. Their quality and variety of design are really well worth looking at.

Some of the contemporary Chinese carpets have deceptively simple designs with maybe only 3 shades incorporated into the design. Very simple designs are used to great effect.

Any type of oriental wool rugs is a family heirloom in the making. Quite honestly some of them are so beautiful it would be a sin and a shame to put them on the floor for people to walk on. I would like to see more used as wall hangings so that you can really appreciate the wonderful designs and there would be no wear and tear to the rugs.

Obviously with a rug made from wool or wool/cotton you need to make sure you keep it free of months. These creatures can do so much damage to a thing of beauty. They don’t appreciate just what it is they are munching on. It is simply food to them.

Anybody’s home can be enhanced by having one of these beautiful oriental wool rugs, either on the floor or on the wall. They will make a definite statement about the home owner, about their taste and style of decoration.