Antique Pictorial Samarkand Carpet with Vases and Blossoms

Five different vases with geometric blossoms alternate with exotic foliage within a greek key and then an abstract floral border on this early 20th century Samarkand carpet with a dusty rose field. Sometimes Samarkands are called Khotans. They were hand woven in Central Asia, in an area that was once called East Turkestan and is now known as Xinjiang province, China. The silk road culture of the area brings both Middle Eastern as well as Chinese influence to the pictorial motifs common to the carpets. Many are long and relatively narrow due to the fact that they were woven for Buddhist monks to sit upon and meditate side by side.