Auspicious Carpets: A Tibetan View of Aesthetics

Fig. 9: Dorje Dragon
Bed carpet
76 x 137 cm.
Cotton warp, wool weft

One of the oldest extant Tibetan carpets, perhaps eighteenth century or earlier. The archaic feeling speaks for itself; the dorjes indicate a monastic origin. It is the only piece of its kind seen in the market. The detail (below) shows extensive use of sophisticated knotting despite the rug's simplicity. (Previously published in Myers, 1984).