Early 20th Century Samarkand (Khotan) Handmade Rug in Red, Beige and Blue

This turn of the century vintage features a bold lozenge lattice field consisting of stylized flower patterns in shades of orange, inky blue and light blue on a background of beige. Multiple borders in red encase the vintage area rug, with the lozenge lattice appearing again in the outermost border.

The vintage Oriental carpets from Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan in the Chinese occupied Autonomous Region of Sikiang are collectively known as Samarkands - lands of arid steppes, deserts and mountain ranges traversed for thousands of years by caravans of merchants and traders from China to Western Europe along the Silk Route.

from this region are typically rendered in a glossy wool, occasionally embellished with richly brocaded silk and metal-thread. Unlike Persian rugs with their reds and blues, Samarkands have soft colors with startling additions: magenta with acid green, peachy beige with brown, saffron yellow with lacquer red, bone with brown or slate blue.