Detail Photos

 A rare old Tibetan textile. It is a felt backed runner with a design featuring the ancient and highly collectable tie-dye technique known as Nambu in Tibetan. This is not a carpet - it is rather a flat weave textile, but we list it in this category since well informed individuals who know Asian carpets and textiles are more likely to discover this item here. This "Nambu" dyeing technique is traditional and since centuries long passed the people of neighboring cultures and regions held this design in high regard and there was naturally a strong aesthetic association with this textile design technique and the Tibetans. As has been documented by textile scholars, the famous 11th century murals on monastery walls in Alchi (modern Ladakh - a landmark of a once thriving Buddhist empire) show Tibetans with nambu cloth garments and banners. We can then readily discern, based on that graphic record, that by this point - 10 centuries ago, the nambu cloth was already a "signature" style of the Tibetan people.

This textile is long piece composed of dyed panels with a thick felt backing. It has been cleaned and has a couple small and well executed repairs. The sewn areas are all hand stitched. This is a rare item that will appeal to the true connoisseur of traditional textiles.  These make for striking and interesting domestic art when displayed on the wall, used a table runners, a throw, or as cushion covers. It is a hardy and very useable piece that really epitomizes the old traditional style of the highland Nomads of the Himalaya and Tibetan plateau.