A pair of monastery runner carpets - with 5 squares, measuring 102”x 21” each. Made with wool and in vegetable and mineral dyes, the rug has central floral medallions in each square with a simple border with clouds. Traditionally used in monasteries with each square as the designated seat for a monk.
In Tibet, after the aristocracy, the monasteries were the largest landowners in Tibet and patrons and purveyors of the arts. Extreme weather conditions required monastic institutions to cover platforms with carpets for thousands of monks during religious ceremonies. These carpets had to be changed regularly due to use which required a constant supply of rugs for the monasteries. Monks and lamas interacted directly with Tibetan weavers leading to a proliferation of a unique kind of Tibetan carpets with simple motifs and muted colors.
The scale of the carpet suggests that it could have been used both in monasteries or in private chapels in residences.
