Overview
A Tamarian rug is a true work of art. Every step of production is completed with the
care and touch of the human hand. Many of the techniques and tools have remained unchanged
for centuries. We weave with the finest natural and synthetic fiber blends available on the market.
Our dyemasters use a small pot dyeing process to enhance the material’s natural boldness and
luster, while maintaining colorfastness for generations to come. Each rug is woven on an upright
loom using the Tibetan Loop Senneh knot. When weaving is complete, the rug is cut from the loom,
trimmed and washed.
Materials
Only the finest native Tibetan wool is used in our rugs.Tibetan highland sheep freely
roam the Tibetan plateau at elevations over 10,000 feet. Because the sheep roam freely in the
wild, the wool they produce is strong and very high in lanolin content, which makes Tibetan wool one of the finest natural
fibers in the world. Sorters seperate the wool by hand and select only
the variations of natural white that meet our dyemasters’ standards. It is then washed, carded,
and spun entirely by hand, giving our Tamarian rugs the raw, organic texture for which they are
known. Since we value the high lanolin content of the wool for both its natural stain resistance and
its lustrous texture, we do not wash our wool with chemicals or bleach before the dyeing process.
We also weave using other natural fibers, such as Chinese silk and natural hemp, nettle, and linen;
as well as high quality synthetics, such as viscose, banana silk and other cutting edge materials.
Dyeing
To ensure color consistency, all wool is dyed onsite using the age-old pot dyeing
technique. Our dye masters submerge, simmer and spin the wool with the highest quality dyes
to reach the optimal color saturation. Offering a standard pallet of over 1200 colors, Tamarian rugs
use a consistent formula to ensure the wool dyed years ago matches the wool that is dyed today.
Weaving
Every rug is woven by hand using the Tibetan Loop Senneh knot, by which each knot is
tied around two warp threads and then looped around a metal rod. When an entire row of knots
is completed, they are cut from the rod which then exposes a pile. The weavers use what we call a
“cartoon graph,” which is a full scale version of the rug that the weavers follow knot by knot.
Finishing
Once cut from the loom, the rug is trimmed and sheared meticulously by hand. The
trimming gives each motif its definition and detail while the shearing levels the surface of the rug to
the desired consistency. Wash-water is used from our own water purification plant. The rugs are washed
with plain water; no heavy detergents or chemicals are used. This process ensures that our rugs are free of
chemicals and that they continue to keep natural lanolin oil in the finished piece.
Each rug is washed three times and then sun dried to bring out the rich hues and variations that
are the hallmark of every Tamarian Tibetan rug.