Tibetan rugs have an impressively rich history and a gorgeous appearance. The process of Tibetan rug weaving is an ancient tradition dating back thousands of years ago. Typically made from Tibetan sheep’s wool, also known as changpel, these rugs are used for a variety of needs, ranging from decorative tapestries, horse saddles, sitting rugs, and decorative carpeting for floors.
Tibetan rugs in Brooklyn typically come in rich hues of red, gold, and green earthy tones. Some rugs have elaborate patterns while others feature a more subtle design aesthetic. At H&S Rug Cleaning & Restoration, we provide high-quality NYC Tibetan rug cleaning services at affordable prices. Feel free to get in touch with us for a quick cleaning job or a more elaborate restoration plan, or keep reading to find out more about these beautiful rugs.
What Is A Tibetan Rug?
A Tibetan rug is usually tied with a different type of knot than a Persian rug that has been knotted by hand. This is normally the case of contemporary models of Tibetan rugs. When you need to compare a hand-made Tibetan rug with a hand-knotted Persian rug made of wool, you will notice a few significant differences.
Rug collectors and interior designers alike prefer Tibetan rugs thanks to their hand-knotted weave made from the wool of sheep found in the highlands of Tibet. This special type of wool contains large amounts of lanolin and this gives it one of the softest textures in the world. If you are looking for a truly soft rug, a Tibetan rug is definitely a good choice for you, as it is very similar to wool shags, even though they might not be as soft as silk and wool rugs.
The main thing that differentiates Tibetan rugs from Persian rugs is the way they are knotted. These knots are tied a lot faster, making these rugs appear to be thinner compared to traditional Persian rugs made of wool. The traditional design that is usually seen on a Persian rug is also replaced with a simpler and more modern design on Tibetan rugs.
Tibetan rugs are usually dyed in yellow and grey colors and antique models weaved hundreds of years ago are extremely expensive and make for excellent additions to any rug collector’s home.
Given the small size of Tibet in general and the small number of original rugs that are hand-made here, it is not difficult to understand why these rugs tend to be pricier. However, this has also pushed expert carpet weavers from Nepal and India to try to imitate the Tibetan rug weaving techniques and send them on the market as genuine Tibetan rugs, in spite of the fact that the respective carpets do not originate in Tibet.
How to Check the Originality of a Tibet Rug
If you are currently in the market for a Tibetan rug and you want to make sure you will be able to recognize an original rug from a fake, here is what you should know:
- make sure the rug measures 12 x 15 or 8 x 10, so you can rest assured you will be buying an original rug
- always make sure to ask for proof of the country of origin
- turn the rug over and try to look at the type of knotting; the rug should be knotted by hand, not hand-tufted.
- These knots are machine-made, which means you should notice if the lines are straight and easy to find. A hand-tufted rug is a stitched rug and it will have a much shorter lifespan compared to a rug with knots made by hand. A hand-knotted rug is made by hand, which means the rows of knots should be of considerable different sizes. Also, their lines will not be perfectly straight.
The Tibetan Rug Weaving and Dyeing Process
Once the special Tibetan sheep’s wool known as changpel has been carefully selected, the wool will be allowed to sit and naturally age for a while. This will help the wool become even smoother and look more attractive. Once this aging process will be completed, the wool will be spun and dyed according to the selected colors. The wool will then be woven on a vertical loom and then trimmed to make all the edges uniform and even. The new Tibetan rugs will be dried outdoors in the natural light from the sun, cleaned, trimmed once more and prepared to be sold.
Tibetan Rug Cleaning Services
At H&S Rug Cleaning and Restoration, we understand firsthand that there is an enormous amount of work and care going into each and every Tibetan rug that reaches us. This is also why our Tibetan rug cleaning service is so important to us, as well as the owners of these precious pieces of art.
We always initiate the process by thoroughly examining the condition of the rug, in order to identify all traces of dirt, staining, and hidden odor sources that you might not have been able to find on your own, including old pet urine odors and stains. We will perform color running tests and decide upon the best Tibetan Rug cleaning technique.
We perform full deodorizing that will make your rugs smell fresh and feel brand new once again and we charge some of the most affordable Tibetan rug cleaning prices that we warmly invite you to check. Get a free Tibetan rug price quote today and let us restore your beloved rug at a fraction of the price of buying new rugs.