Nepal rug | 352 x 244 cm | Nr. Z-309

Nepal rug, blue-grey with border and motif

Origin	Nepal
Dimensions	352 cm x 244 cm (= 8.59 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	60.000
Pile height	10mm
Year of manufacture	1995
Colour	Blue-grey, lilac
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Rugs have only been knotted in Nepal since 1959, following the flight of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans who accompanied him. From 1966 onwards, under the guidance of the committed Zurich importer Jo Iten-Maritz, these displaced people were taught to knot rugs in the Tibetan tradition using the customary patterns. Once the rug designs were adapted to contemporary Western taste, Nepal's knotting output rose considerably. The central trading hub is the capital, Kathmandu. Most of the production workshops are based here as well.

Nepal rugs are knotted using a special technique. During knotting, a kind of continuous knot is looped in a line around a rod, so that a horizontal row of loops is formed. Once the rod is completely covered with these loops, they are cut open from above in that section, so that the pile fans out and a velour surface is created. In the end, the knot takes on the form of a Persian knot. This rapid method is only possible, however, because Nepalese-Tibetan rugs are largely plain and barely patterned over wide areas.

Pattern

The decorated surround (border) forms a beautiful contrast to the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

The background of this Nepal rug is beige. The overall impression is also dominated by blue-grey and lilac. The border is worked in blue-grey and light grey.

Condition

You aren't the first to take a liking to this Nepal rug. It has had owners before you who valued and used it. It was hand-knotted around 1995. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with care. That is why – despite its age – it is in very good condition.

Material

The pile of this Nepal rug was hand-knotted from high-quality new wool. New wool is obtained by gently shearing sheep. New wool is a renewable, natural raw material with a range of impressive properties: thanks to the wool's natural lanolin content, the surface repels droplets of water and is thus naturally proofed against dirt. Wool also provides excellent thermal insulation, has a regulating effect on the indoor climate and dampens sound. The weft and warp threads of this Nepal rug are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation weave.