Late 19th Century Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug

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Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan … Read more Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and carpets for both internal and the commercial trade. Samarkand carpets and reached the height of their popularity between the 17th Century and 19th century although archaeological evidence shows local people produced intricately woven textiles more than 1,000 years earlier.
During the height of Samarkand carpet production, the city of was part of a region designated as Chinese controlled East Turkestan. Today, the city of Khotan or Hotan is located in modern-day China in the region of Xinjiang or the New Frontier. Through the centuries, the Khotan has been controlled by many dynasties and imperial powers that have influenced local carpet design.

Geographically, Khotan is the southern-most of East Turkestan’s three distinct carpet producing regions, which also include Yarkand and Kashgar. The city of Khotan is located on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau in fertile valleys between two important glacial rivers the Karakash River and the Yurungkash River, which are known for their deposits of black jade and white jade respectively.
Despite the natural land barriers of the snow-covered Kunlun Mountain range and the harsh Taklamakan desert, Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road for thousands of years.

Antique Samarkand rugs have been influenced by invading superpowers, travelers, and traders passing through. The Huns were one of the first groups to control Khotan and East Turkestan before the Chinese Buddhists gained power in the year 200. See less