Nepal rug | 96 x 65 cm | Nr. Z-4470

Mottled Nepal rug, wine red with border

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 wonderful contrast to the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

The surface of this Nepal rug has a mottled look. The changes in tone and the light-and-dark shading of the pile yarn make the colours shimmer and keep the rug forgiving of dirt. These colour shifts, known as abrash, give the rug a livelier feel. The mottling comes about because the wool of this Nepal rug was hand-spun. When it is dyed, the natural dyes are absorbed to differing degrees.

The background of this Nepal rug is wine red. The border is designed in wine red and lilac.

Condition

This Nepal rug has a story to tell. It was hand-knotted around 2010. 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.