Khotan Rugs: Ancient Weaving Tradition Right In Your Home

By Author: jimmy auston
Total Articles: 12
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Khotan Rugs originate from small place called Khotan located in the Tarim Basis on the boundary of the infamous Silk Road, favorite among traders in Ancient China because of its jewelry, silks and stunning rugs. Today, Khotan is known as Honan in the Autonomous Region of China.

Once you set your eyes upon the Khotan rugs, you can understand why they were very popular commodities sought after by merchants ages ago, among them the famed world explorer Marco Polo who passed by Khotan in 13thcentury.

An Ancient Tradition
Although the demand for Khotan rugs only started to rise by 15th century, archeologists and historians have found evidence that the villages in Khotan have been weaving the rug since the third century based on garments found on Buddhist temples. The reason why it was a hot commodity was because Khazars and Pechenegs invaded the area in the ninth century and converted the people to Islam from Buddhism. A handful of weavers left behind rug-making for a while. Fortunately, the tradition lived on.

Another factor that contributed to their uniqueness was the decision of the invaders to ...
... cut off the town from the western traders. The Khotan rugs were transported via Russia but when they reached the consumers in Europe, they were already known as Samarkand carpets after the Central Asian city bearing the same name.

Handcrafting only the finest materials
Most Khotan rugs were fashioned out of wool although some fabrics were made of silk. The whole process was very intricate judging from the amount of knots per square inch. This is what distinguished the rugs out of Khotan from all the other traditional rugs. Experts say a typical rug has around 1,200 knots per inch because each knotted yarn has two or three woof surrounding it.

The designs are very unique although they are categorized as Oriental or Far Eastern mainly because the Khotan town was conquered several times by the Turkish tribes, Chinese Buddhists, Huns and Uyghurs and the designs of Khotan rugs have become a reflection of these changes.

To dye for
The colors of Khotan rugs were typically yellow, rustic or tan because they were sourced from local vegetation although the brighter colors imported from Kashmir were also infused into the fabric. The designs were influenced by the visiting traders at that time or the colonial masters. For example, diamond or floral patterns were inspired from the Indian carpet makers and the medallion themes can be traced to the rugs of Iran, India and Anatolia.

These rugs are a great addition to any home. However, make sure you deal only with a reputable dealer if you want to purchase Khotan rugs because not all you can find in the market today are genuine.

Jimmy auston has vast experience in carpets and rugs business and has written many articles on rex ray rugs Beverly Hills, oushak rugs and oriental carpets Beverly Hills .