Rug

Tibet

19th–early 20th century

Wool warp, wool weft, wool pile

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A rectangular rug with a repeating geometric pattern of red diamonds and small squares on a muted blue-grey background. Carpets are an important decorative art in the Tibetan tradition, serving aesthetic and practical purposes in the monastic and domestic settings. Weavers incorporate a variety of auspicious motifs, geometric patterns, as well as real and mythical animals. Occasionally they also opt to create plain carpets without specific motifs or patterns. These are admired for their subtle color tonalities—the result of using natural dyes including madder (red), indigo (blue), Tibetan rhubarb (yellow) and Tibetan walnut (browns and greys). Gallery G255 Gift of Thomas Murray in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama