Tibet Tiger Rug
167 x 94 cm (5' 6" x 3' 1")
Tibet, early 20th century
Condition: very good, good pile, one repair in the middle, slight signs of use
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool

When Mimi Lipton published 'Tigerteppiche aus Tibet' in 1989 for most carpet lovers tiger rugs were a new discovery.
They have always been rare and now they are very sought after.
They depict tigers in naturalistic or abstract style sometimes showing their skeleton or are laid out as a pelt.
Reserved in Tibet for high-ranking monks or aristocrats they symbolize power and energy.
Most show a single tiger however pairs of tigers can be seen as well. Even though some are quite abstract without any additional motifs the pairing itself seem to show Chinese influence.
In this charming rug the influence is not disguised but can clearly be seen in the small cosmic ocean borders on either end and the lotos flowers growing into the field. When paired the tigers sometimes chasing a flaming pearl and in general doesn't seem to be very fearsome. In our rug the larger, well-fed tiger seems in better mood than then smaller one.
Tigers walking through bamboo could be seen in an example we sold on September 25, 2021.