Tibetan Pile Rug with Tiger Motif

Two rows of tall black flames or whiskers over a warm beige

This pile rug with tiger motif is from Tibet, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is wool. Chinese motifs often appear in Tibetan rugs, including the shou symbol for long life, the dragon and phoenix, and stylized clouds, though Buddhism was the strongest source of design inspiration. A wide rug in oatmeal-beige with two rows of long, slender black S-shaped marks. A faint seam crosses the middle. The edge is lightly frayed and the color looks slightly mottled.

The pattern repeats politely, with space for everyone.