Tibetan Saddle Carpets
(This essay was originally produced for a show of antique Tibetan saddle rugs that took place in our galleries in summer 2006. Though this exhibition is over we often stock antique saddle carpets in our galleries)
Saddle carpets and blankets form an important part of the rich weaving traditions in China’s border areas, though this is a tradition that is rarely seen outside its native lands these days. Tibetan riders are proud of their horsemanship and the costume of both the horse and rider are an important display of wealth and taste. This is why saddle carpets display some of the finest designs and craftsmanship of all Tibetan carpets, and why such carpets are especially sought after by collectors today.
Tibetan saddle carpets were traditionally made in pairs: a distinctive notch-shaped lower carpet is placed under the saddle, while a small square carpet is placed on top of the saddle to cushion the rider. It is rare to find an intact pair of carpets these days: Tibetan riders commonly use pairs of carpets that no longer match, though we have several matching pairs in the show.
Saddle carpets are often decorated with auspicious symbols such as the lotus and sets of precious objects. The Tibetan love of brilliant colors is very much in evidence on saddle rugs and blankets dyed with bright red from madder root, blue from indigo and golden yellow from locally grown rhubarb. Though rugs were woven in pairs, a typical Tibetan horse will be saddled with four or five protective layers. First come the blankets, which are placed directly on the horse. These are usually made from flat-woven fabric, sometimes with tie-dye designs in contrasting primary colors. The main saddle carpet is placed on top of these blankets.
The Litang Horse Festival
One of the most spectacular of the annual Tibetan equestrian events takes place at the horse festival at Litang, in the Kham region of Eastern Tibet, at the beginning of August every year. This region of Tibet does not have a carpet weaving tradition of its own, but has plenty of extremely proud Kham riders. Over the centuries the Kham horsemen traded carpets with central Tibet, Mongolia and the Ningxia region to the north, competing with each other to acquire the finest carpets. Many of these heirloom carpets can be seen at the annual Litang festival. As well as a display of Tibetan horsemanship the festival is also a living and moving exhibition of many of the finest carpet weaving traditions from Tibet and the surrounding regions.
The saddle carpets and blankets in our exhibition at Torana house were collected over a period of three years, from Kham and from other parts of Tibet. They include both knotted carpets and flatweave blankets, some of which more than a hundred years old. In addition to saddle carpets we also have examples of a few special types of carpet, such as the tiny protective head ornaments (takgyab) woven for horses and mules and placed on the animal’s forehead for luck, as well as woven halters and tassels. Many of the items in the show are in pristine condition despite their age, evidence that they were treasured and used only on special occasions.
Photo: saddle carpet dating from the 1930s, made in central Tibet but used by a rider at the Litang festival in the Kham region (well to the east of Lhasa)
A Traditional Tibetan Art Form
In addition to antique items, the exhibition also features some new saddle blankets and saddle bags made by Tibetan nomads, under the sponsorship of the Tibet Artisan Initiative. This organization is playing an important role in keeping traditional crafts alive in Tibet by providing new markets for traditional crafts.
Photo: a young Tibetan girl from the Kham area at the Litang festival, wearing a very large silver gau (amulet case). The festival is an occasion to show off costume as well as a competitive event.
