History of Our Rugs

Care & Cleaning

Mud, kids, dogs?
NO PROBLEM!

Our Tibetan rugs are made with colorfast Swiss dyes.

The rugs can be washed with soap and water, and laid in the direct sun to dry.

They can be vacuumed regularly.

All these wonderful qualities make a Tibetan rug both beautiful and durable for years to come.

A Short History of Tibetan Rugs

The Tibetans have been weaving rugs for centuries. In 1949, the Chinese took control of Tibet. When the cultural revolution of 1959 forced the Dalai Lama to flee from Tibet into India, many Tibetans began their exodus as well. Many found their new homes in Nepal. They arrived with nothing except what they could carry over the Himalayan Mountains. In order to sustain themselves, they began weaving rugs to sell. Since then, the rug industry in Nepal has expanded greatly, exporting rugs all over the world.

What makes a Tibetan rug so special?

The traditional TIbetan rug begins with wool f rom the sheep living high in the Himalayan Mountains. Their wool is soft and strong and has a high lanolin content that naturally repels stains. The rugs are woven on an upright loom using cotton warp and waft. The wool is hand-knotted to make a pile rug. Each knot is hand tied using more complicated weaving techniques than most other hand knotted rugs. The longer you walk on a Tibetan rug, the tighter the knots become, causing the rug to become better over time. Most rugs last as long as 80-100 years! The rugs are made using 60, 80 or 100 knots per square inch. The 60- and 80-knot rugs have a deeper pile and the 100-knot rugs are thinner with more elaborate design. The traditional designs are quite varied, ranging from dragons and tigers to coin mandalas, florals, and stripes and crosses. Now, contemporary and modern designs are made as well. The variety of designs makes the Tibetan rugs of today appealing to a wide range of tastes.