Nepal Rugs

Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, bordering Tibet to the north, and India in the south, east, and west, while it is narrowly separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor, and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim. Kathmandu the capital and most populous city of Nepal. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley, a large valley in the high plateaus in central Nepal, at an altitude of 1,400 metres (4,600 feet).
Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world’s ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth.
Nepal’s rugs are mostly woven by Tibetan refugees who fled their country in the mid-20th. Tibetans consider rug weaving as a sort of meditation. They have done it during millenniums. Tibetans who live in exile have continued to weave Tibetan rugs with the same technique and designs. Kathmandu, Jawalakhel, Pokhara, and Patan are major sources for such rugs.

A Tibetan dragon rug made by Tibetan refugees in Nepal

Technical aspects and the structure of Nepal Rugs

Tibetans have their own knitting technique using a temporary gauge rod for weft wrapping. Tibetan knot densities vary from 20 to 140 per square inch. Piles are woolen in Nepal but warp and weft are cotton. The wool used, known as Himalayan, is very soft. The typical size made in Nepal called ‘neyden’ (3 feet by 6 feet). This is a small-sized rug used traditionally for sleeping.
A Tibetan snow-lion rug made by Tibetan refugees in Nepal

Dyeing and painting of Nepal Rugs

Unlike antique Tibetan rugs, rugs made by Tibetan refugees in Nepal have synthetic colors. Rugs made in Nepal have also a brighter palette in comparison to those made in Tibet. Tibetans use colors symbolically. Gold and orange are used in ceremonial rugs. Either of orange, saffron or yellow may be used in Tibetan tiger rugs. Dark blue- dominated pieces are also exist. The blue used is mostly indigo. The secondary palette include a wide range.
A Tibetan dragon rug made by Tibetan refugees in Nepal

Designs and patterns of Nepal Rugs

Buddhism is the key to Tibetan rug motifs. The seven Buddhist symbols (wheel, conch, umbrella, canopy, lotus, vase, fish and Ch’ang) are pictured in Tibetan designs.
A Tibetan rug made by Tibetan refugees in Nepal
Animals and magical creatures depicted frequently in Tibetan rugs. Dragons, dragon and phoenix, tigers, and snow lions are the most popular ones. Snow lions are depicted frequently single or in pair. It is a celestial animal for Tibetans and its depiction is the national emblem of Tibet. Tiger rugs are among the most popular Tibetan woven items. These are stylized imitations of tiger skins. Chessboard designs (called ‘shotima’) are also common.
A Tibetan tiger rug made in Nepal
A dragon-and-phoenix design
A Tibetan rug made by Tibetan refugees in Nepal
A Tibetan rug made by Tibetan refugees in Nepal
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