Located in the oasis of East Turkestan near the edge of the Taklamakan desert, the Silk Road ran through the oases of Kashgar, Khotan and Yarkandย where weaving centers were set up in the 18th century. ย The organized integrationย of indigenous motifs and abstractย elements of Chinese origin, characterizes the uniquity of East Turkestan rugs. ย The rug renaissance of the 19th century, attributed to theย largeย production of these magnificent yet humble works of art. ย Here in the west, we have nicknamed the rugs ofย this region as Samarkand rugs due to the fact thatย mostย designs were passed from one oasesย to the next. ย Most Samarkand rugs were made in gallery sizes with a wool pile (few withย silk) and have beenย regarded as the “darlings” to collectors and the decorative trade.
