This is due to their having been well preserved in ideal conditions - cold, dark and dry in the Tibetan monasteries.
Tibetan History and Religion
Tibet was annexed by China during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), and then administered by officials of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it became the Tibetan Administrative region in 1951.
In 1959, following a rebellion, the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, and thousands of his followers fled into exile in India, and Tibet was reformed along communist lines. The Tibet Autonomous Region was officially established in 1965.
The main religion is Lamaism, a form of Buddhism which was introduced into Tibet during the 7th century. Religious rites are performed several times a day by the Lamas and involve the use of prayer wheels and flags, rosaries, charms and talismans. Bronzes, stone sculptures, and other ritual objects are to be found widely in markets in China, and in antique shops in Hong Kong and the west.
Tibetan Textiles
The most popular textiles include tangkas, Buddhist images on cloth of either brocade, embroidery or painting designed to stimulate meditation; sutra covers which are covers for the religious books written in horizontal format; and priests' robes made for the many festivals held throughout the year.
Many robes from Tibet were originally sent there as gifts from the Chinese court during the Ming dynasty, and altered to the Tibetan style, while temple hangings and banners were sometimes assembled from rank badges used by Chinese officials of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Tibetan rugs
Tibetan rugs come in several shapes and sizes, and were mainly used in monasteries, homes of aristocrats and under the saddles of horses. Due to the nomadic way of life of the Tibetans they were small enough to be rolled up and easily transported.
Among the most common were the rectangular khaden used for sitting and sleeping, smaller squarish mats called khagangma for seating important visitors, and the long narrow temple rugs with coiled dragons used in the monasteries. Made of fine, high grade wool, the `cut sennah loop' knotting technique gives Tibetan rugs their characteristic ribbed look. Designs range from Buddhist emblems and elaborate Chinese motifs to the simple checkerboard pattern.
Read More About Tibetan Art and Rugs
For more on Tibetan art and rugs, find a copy of Marylin Rhie & Robert Thurman, `Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet' , pub. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco & Tibet House, New York, 1991, and Lennart Larsson jr, Carpets from China, Xinjiang & Tibet, pub. Bamboo Publishing Ltd, London, 1988.
Valery Garrett - I was born in England but I’ve lived in Hong Kong for over thirty years. At first I worked as a fashion designer for some large ...
