Khotan is a city of Eastern Turkestan, an area of southwestern Xinjiang province in Western China. Written evidence suggests carpets were woven in Khotan as early as the 7th century. Production in 1870 was estimated at 5,000 carpets exported annually from Khotan and surrounding villages. Khotan is thought to be the source of most East Turkestan medallion rugs. Early rugs woven in Khotan are likely to have three wool wefts (two cable and one sinuous) between each row of knots. Some 18th or 19th century Khotan rugs were woven with metallic threads. The ground or open areas of the field and border were executred in a metallic thread in a continuous weft wrapping structure, while motifs were rendered in pile, providing high relief for the design. Later Khotan rugs have a cotton foundation. Wool rugs have about 40 to 100 asymmetric knots per square inch.

Purchased in Hong Kong in 1960s and used by the Morrisons in Sarawak and Australia.

Rug, wool/cotton, Khotan, Eastern Turkestan, 1890-1930.
Woollen pile-weave carpet, hand knotted on a cotton warp and weft in synthetic dyed wool. The main field is red/pink and the other predominant colours are yellow, green, ivory and black. At the centre of the field is a stylised lotus medallion, surrounded by pomegranate, floral and geometric motifs contained in square and circular forms. At each corner there is a stylised key fret design. The inner border has a diagonal stripe which is broken by a flower motif and the outer border contains a geometric stylised floral design.

Maker: unknown; Khotan, Eastern Turkestan; 1890 - 1920


User: Morrison, Alastair

User: Morrison, Hedda

94/42/2

1890 - 1920

1430 mm

2650 mm